A flagpole casts a​ shadow, while at the same​ time, a nearby tree casts a shadow. Use the figure below to find the height n of the flagpole.

9 ft
21
30 ft

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Part 1
The height n of the flagpole is
  
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1 answer

To determine the height \( n \) of the flagpole using the shadows, we can set up a proportion based on the lengths of the shadows and the heights.

Assuming the lengths of the shadows are given as follows:

  • The height of the tree is \( 21 \) ft and its shadow is \( 9 \) ft.
  • The height of the flagpole is \( n \) ft, and its shadow is \( 30 \) ft.

The relationship can be set up using the property of similar triangles, which gives us the following proportion:

\[ \frac{\text{Height of tree}}{\text{Shadow of tree}} = \frac{\text{Height of flagpole}}{\text{Shadow of flagpole}} \]

Substituting the values:

\[ \frac{21}{9} = \frac{n}{30} \]

Now, we can cross-multiply to solve for \( n \):

\[ 21 \times 30 = 9 \times n \]

This simplifies to:

\[ 630 = 9n \]

Now, divide both sides by \( 9 \):

\[ n = \frac{630}{9} \] \[ n = 70 \]

Therefore, the height \( n \) of the flagpole is \( 70 \) ft.