Question

ff.5 similar figures and indirect measurement 8vj
an oak tree is 16 yards tall. its shadow is 12 yards long. close by, there is a fir tree that is 12 yards tall. how long is the fir trees shadow?
write your answer as a whole number or a decimal. do not round.
______ yards

Explanation:

Step1: Set up proportion

$\frac{\text{Oak tree height}}{\text{Oak shadow length}} = \frac{\text{Fir tree height}}{\text{Fir shadow length}}$
$\frac{16}{12} = \frac{12}{x}$

Step2: Cross-multiply to solve for x

$16x = 12 \times 12$
$16x = 144$

Step3: Isolate x

$x = \frac{144}{16}$
$x = 9$

Answer:

9 yards