SOLUTION: Matt is 1.59 m tall and wants to find the height of a tree. He walks 21.80 m from the base of the tree along the shadow until his head is in a position where the tip of his shadow

Question 160063: Matt is 1.59 m tall and wants to find the height of a tree. He walks 21.80 m from the base of the tree along the shadow until his head is in a position where the tip of his shadow exactly overlaps the end of the tree top's shadow. He is now 5.99 m from the end of the shadows. How tall is the tree? Round to nearest hundredth. The answer should be 7.38m but I have no idea how to reach that answer. I am assuming I should set up a proportion but I am not sure. Can you help?
Answer by scott8148(6628) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Matt, the tree, and the shadows form similar triangles (you're right about the proportion)

Matt/Matt's shadow=tree/tree's shadow __ 1.59/5.99=t/(21.80+5.99)

1.59 * 27.79 / 5.99 = t
RELATED QUESTIONS
Bob who is 1.92 m tall wishes to find the height of a tree with a shadow of 31.07 m long. (answered by solver91311)

joe is 1.59 m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree. He walks 23.56 m from the base... (answered by Theo)

Julia, who is 1.51 m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree with a shadow 31.05 m... (answered by checkley77)

Julia, who is 1.51 m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree with a shadow 31.05 m... (answered by stanbon)

Julia, who is 1.51 m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree with a shadow 31.05 m... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

mieko, who is 1.75 m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree. She walks 21.35 m from... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

To find the height of a tree, a group of Girl Scouts devised the following method. A... (answered by solver91311)

To find the height of a tree a group of girlsscouts devised the following method. A girl... (answered by stanbon)

Ivan who is 1.96m tall, wishes to find the height of a tree. He walks 18.43m from the... (answered by solver91311,richwmiller)