Question

A flag pole 18 m high casts a shadow 9.6 m long. The distance of the top of the pole from the far end of the shadow is ______.

Answer 1

A flag pole 18 m high casts a shadow 9.6 m long. The distance of the top of the pole from the far end of the shadow is 20.4 m.

Explanation:

Let the pole be BC = 18 m and the shadow AB = 9.6 m; the distance from the top C to the far end A is the hypotenuse AC of right triangle ABC.

By Pythagoras, AC² = AB² + BC² 

= (9.6)² + (18)²

= 92.16 + 324

= 416.16

So AC = `sqrt(416.16)` 

= 20.4 m