Ant Crawling up a Rope
Source:
March 15, 2010
ratiogeometrysimilar trianglesPythagorean Theorem
Problem Statement
A rope of length 10 m is tied tautly from the top of a flagpole to the ground 6 m away from the base of the pole. An ant crawls up the rope and its shadow moves at a rate of 30 cm/min. How many meters above the ground is the ant after 5 minutes? (This takes place on the summer solstice on the Tropic of Cancer so that the sun is directly overhead.)