SOLUTION: I am a 58 yr old man that went to 4 yrs of college but havn't used math in yrs. I lost my job and have to take a aptitude test within 2 days. I am going into a new field. I really

Question 858092: I am a 58 yr old man that went to 4 yrs of college but havn't used math in yrs.
I lost my job and have to take a aptitude test within 2 days. I am going into a new field. I really would appreciate some help with how to write the translation for some problems and maybe I will remember how to figure them out.
I have forgotten so much and I am actually embarrassed to be doing this but I am under the gun. Any help would be a blessing. Thank you in advance. Here is the question of 10. I will follow the rules and go one at a time.
The length of the shadow of a flagpole was found to be 72 feet. The shadow of a 3 ft picket fence in line with the flagpole was 4 feet. What's the height of the flagpole
Answer by math-vortex(648) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Hi, there--

Your Problem:
The length of the shadow of a flagpole was found to be 72 feet. The shadow of a 3 ft picket fence in line 
with the flagpole was 4 feet. What's the height of the flagpole?

Solution:

Let's have x be the height of the flagpole.
When the sun shines on an object, the height of the object is proportional to the length of its shadow. 
So we can say the ratio of the height of the flagpole to the length of its shadow is equal to the ratio of 
the height of the picket fence to the length of its shadow.

We write these ratios as equivalent fractions:



Now solve for x. 
Let's rewrite 3/4 as an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 72. Multiply the numerator and denominator by 18.



Therefore,


Since both fractions are equal to each other, x must equal 54. In the context of this problem, x=54 
means the height of the flagpole is 54 feet.

Hope this helps. Email if you have questions about this.

Mrs. Figgy
math.in.the.vortex@gmail.com

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