Question

A 21 foot flagpole casts a shadow on a flat concrete patio. The

distance from the top of the pole to the tip of the shadow is 23 feet.
What is the distance along the ground from the base of the pole to the
tip of the shadow (nearest tenth)?

Answer 1

9.4 feet to the nearest tenth.

Explanation:

This makes a right triangle so we use Pythagoras:

23^2 = 21^2 + d^2 where d is the required distance.

d^2 = 23^2 - 21^2

d^2 = 88

d = √88 = 9.3808