Math Problem of the Week - Middle School - Dec. 5, 2021 to Dec. 11, 2021

Middle School: 

Question: A 9-foot tree casts a 6-foot shadow. A songbird casts a 2-inch shadow. A squirrel is twice as tall as the songbird. How tall is the squirrel?

Answer: The squirrel is 6 inches tall

Solution: The length of the tree's shadow is two-thirds the height of the tree. So, the length of the songbird's shadow is two-thirds its height; 2 inches is two-thirds of 3 inches, so the songbird must be 3 inches tall. That means that the squirrel is 6 inches tall because 6 inches is twice as tall as 3 inches.