Explanation
Correct answer: B.
Choice B is correct. Each tree and its shadow can be modeled using a right triangle, where the height of the tree and the length of its shadow are the legs of the triangle. At a given point in time, the right triangles formed by two nearby trees and their respective shadows will be similar. Therefore, if the height of the other tree is , in feet, the value of can be calculated by solving the proportional relationship . This equation is equivalent to , or . Multiplying each side of the equation by yields . Therefore, the other tree is feet tall.
Desmos solution:
Note: The trees and shadows form similar triangles, so the height-to-shadow ratio stays 10/5.
Enter in Desmos:
Reviewed and rewritten by CookSAT
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect and may result from calculating the difference between the lengths of the shadows, rather than the height of the other tree.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect and may result from calculating the difference between the height of the -foot-tall tree and the length of the shadow of the other tree, rather than calculating the height of the other tree.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect and may result from a conceptual or calculation error.