A building 51 feet tall casts a shadow 48 feet long. Simultaneously, a nearby statue casts a shadow of 16 feet. How tall is the statue? Choose an answer

Similar triangles are the triangles that have the same shape, but different sizes. The corresponding angles are congruent and the sides are in proportion.

What is the ratio of any two corresponding sides of similar triangles?

The ratio of any corresponding sides in two equiangular triangles is always the same.

Let's visualize the situation according to the given question.

AB is the building ,whose height is 51f

BC is the shadow of the building AB, whose length is 48ft.

QR is the shadow of the tower statue, whose length is 16feet.

Let the height of the statue PR be h feet.

In triangle ACB and triangle PRQ

∠ACB = ∠PRQ = 90 degrees

( the objects and shadows are perpendicular to each other)

∠BAC = ∠QPR

( sunray falls on the pole and tower at the same angle, at the same time )

⇒ΔACB similar to ΔPRQ ( AA criterion)

Therefore, the ratio of any two corresponding sides in equiangular triangles is always same.

⇒ AC/CB = PR/RQ

⇒[tex]\frac{51}{48} =\frac{h}{16}[/tex]

⇒ h = [tex]\frac{(51)(16)}{48}[/tex]

⇒ h = 17 feet.

Hence, the statute is 17 feet tall.

Learn more about the similar triangle here:

brainly.com/question/25882965

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