Question

A telephone pole is 55 feet tall. Jeri stands in the shadow of the pole. She is 66 inches tall, gut her shadow is 12 feet long. How far away from the telephone pole is she standing?

Answer 1

Note that the problem is carelessly worded. Jeri could be standing <b>anywhere</b> in the pole's shadow.

Now, The ratio of height to shadow length is the same for each object:

Assuming that the tips of the shadows coincide,

5.5/12 = x/55
where x is the pole's height.

She is standing x-12 feet from the pole.