Sally is a lighting technician for a skating show. At one performance, she noticed that a spotlight shining down on the ice reflected off the ice onto a nearby wall. She estimated the light hit the ice about 10m from the wall and the reflection appeared about 3m up the wall. The spotlight was mounted on a wall aobut 30m from the wall on which the reflection appeared. About how high was the spotlight about the ice.
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To solve this question you want to use similar triangles.
One triangle has a base of 10m, and a side of 3m.
The other triangle has a base of 20m (30m between walls minus the 10m where the light hits).
So 10/3 = 20/x
Using proportions, or cross multiplying
10x =60
x = 6
Spotlight is 6m above the ice
One triangle has a base of 10m, and a side of 3m.
The other triangle has a base of 20m (30m between walls minus the 10m where the light hits).
So 10/3 = 20/x
Using proportions, or cross multiplying
10x =60
x = 6
Spotlight is 6m above the ice
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It's a right triangle. Draw it out. It's asking you for the hypotenuse.
c^2=a^2+b^2.
so,
c^2=10^2+3^2
c^2=100+9
c^2=109
sqrt(c^2)=sqrt(109)
c=10.4
c^2=a^2+b^2.
so,
c^2=10^2+3^2
c^2=100+9
c^2=109
sqrt(c^2)=sqrt(109)
c=10.4