SOLUTION: the cape Hatteras lighthouse on the outer banks of north Carolina is the tallest lighthouse in north america. if a 5 foot woman casts a 12 foot shadow and the lighthouse casts a 54

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Question 1032571: the cape Hatteras lighthouse on the outer banks of north Carolina is the tallest lighthouse in north america. if a 5 foot woman casts a 12 foot shadow and the lighthouse casts a 54 foots shadow, approximately how tall is the cape Hatteras lighthouse

Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, Edwin McCravy:
Answer by ikleyn(52778) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
the cape Hatteras lighthouse on the outer banks of north Carolina is the tallest lighthouse in north america.
if a 5 foot woman casts a 12 foot shadow and the lighthouse casts a 54 foots shadow, approximately how tall is the cape Hatteras lighthouse
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It is about similar triangles . . . 

Solve the proportion 5%2F12 = x%2F54 for the unknown height  "x" of the Hatteras lighthouse, and you will get 

x = 5%2A54%2F12 = . . . 

But of course, calculate it yourself.

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Thanks to the other tutor pointing in non-realistic input to this problem.


Answer by Edwin McCravy(20054) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
[My wife and I climbed to the top of that very Lighthouse 
just last summer.]

This is not a realistic problem at all, for that lighthouse 
is 193 feet high.  Look it up!  Your problem as stated would make it 
one of the shortest lighthouses in North America! :)

matrix%281%2C2%2C%22woman%27s%22%2C+height%29%2Fmatrix%281%2C2%2C%22woman%27s%22%2Cshadow%29%22%22=%22%22

The lady above has all but solved it for you.  I'll give you another
problem:

The Cape Hatteras lighthouse on the outer banks of North 
Carolina is the tallest lighthouse in north america. It 
is 193 feet high.  If the Cape Hatteras lighthouse casts 
a 54-foot shadow, how long is the shadow of a 5 foot woman 
standing on the ground in the vicinity of the lighthouse?

5%2Fx%22%22=%22%22193%2F54

193x%22%22=%22%225%2A54

x%22%22=%22%225%2A54%2F193

x%22%22=%22%221.4 feet approximately.

If the problem were realistic, that's how short the woman's 
shadow would be, not 12 feet.

Edwin