Word Problem Wednesday: Oh Christmas Tree!

Dec 9, 2015

This week's word problem features one of our favorite holiday symbols—the Christmas tree! Give it a shot; we'll post the answer tomorrow!

While outside shopping for the perfect Christmas tree, Justine stands next to a tree that is 10 feet tall. Justine is 48 inches tall and casts a 5–foot shadow. How long is the shadow that the tree casts in feet?

Though the Christmas tree as we know it has been much-loved Christmas tradition since at least the 16th century, did you know that its origin can be traced as far back as pre-Christian Europe? Read more Christmas tree history here!

Update: Here's the solution to our word problem!

Since Justine’s height is in inches and everything else is in feet, we need to convert her height first. Since there are 12 inches in a foot, Justine is 48 ÷ 12 = 4 feet. To find the length of the shadow of the tree, we set up a proportion. If we let x be the length of the tree’s shadow, we have 4 / 5 = 10 / x. Cross multiply and we get 4x = 50, which means that x = 12.5. So the tree casts a 12.5-foot shadow!

SEE HOW MATHNASIUM WORKS FOR YOUR SITUATION

Answer a few questions to see how it works

My Child is:

arrow
arrow

OUR METHOD WORKS

Mathnasium meets your child where they are and helps them with the customised programme they need, for any level of mathematics.

HELP YOUR CHILD ACHIEVE THEIR FULL MATHS POTENTIAL

We have nearly 1,100 neighbourhood centres globally. Get started now.
  • Find a centre
  • Get a maths skills assessment for your child
  • Your child will complete a customised learning plan
arrow
Get Started By Finding A Local Centre