Question

a building casts a 50 - foot shadow. alex is 5 feet tall and casts a 6 - foot shadow. approximately how tall is the building?
a. 50 ft
b. 42 ft
c. 24 ft
d. 60 ft

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let the height of the building be $h$. We set up the proportion $\frac{h}{50}=\frac{5}{6}$ based on the fact that the ratio of height to shadow - length is the same for both the building and Alex.

Step2: Solve for $h$

Cross - multiply to get $6h = 5\times50$, then $6h=250$. Divide both sides by 6: $h=\frac{250}{6}\approx41.67\approx42$ feet.

Answer:

B. 42 ft