A pole 15 m high casts a shadow 8.66 m long…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A pole high casts a shadow long.
- Find the tangent of the sun's altitude.
- Find the sun's altitude.
- How far is the top of the pole from the tip of the shadow?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Ground distance: . Ladder at angle with the ground: height and foot . Shadow: with the sun's altitude. To find an angle, find its ratio and use the inverse function or a known value.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) .
Step 2. (b) This is , so .
Step 3. (c) . With the angle: .
Answer: , the altitude is and the distance is .
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