Question

ff.5 similar figures and indirect measurement 8vj
alana wants to know the height of a sailboat mast. if the sailboat mast casts a shadow 9 yards long and a nearby redwood tree that is 16 yards tall casts a shadow 12 yards long, then how tall is the sailboat mast?
write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round.
_____ yards

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

Let $h$ = mast height.
$\frac{h}{9} = \frac{16}{12}$

Step2: Solve for $h$

Multiply both sides by 9:
$h = \frac{16}{12} \times 9$

Step3: Simplify calculation

$h = \frac{144}{12} = 12$

Answer:

12 yards