Bunuel

A hiker is trying to determine the height of a vertical cliff using similar triangles. If he holds his 2-meter high staff perpendicular to the ground so that the end of the cliff's shadow coincides with the end of the staff's shadow, what is the height of the cliff?
(1) The staff's shadow is 5 meters long.
(2) The cliff's shadow is 10 times as long as the staff's shadow.
Solution: Pre Analysis:- I have made a simplified diagram where 2 triangles ABD and ECD are similar
- Since they are similar, we can say \(\frac{AB}{EC}=\frac{BD}{CD}=\frac{AD}{ED}\) or \(\frac{h}{2}=\frac{BD}{CD}=\frac{AD}{ED}\)
- We are asked the value of h
Attachment:
cliff.png [ 2.65 KiB | Viewed 1236 times ]
Statement 1: The staff's shadow is 5 meters long
- According to this statement, \(CD=5\)
- So, \(\frac{h}{2}=\frac{BD}{5}=\frac{BC+5}{5}\)
- But this is not sufficient to get the value of h without the value of BC
- statement 1 alone is not sufficient and we can eliminate options A and D
Statement 2: The cliff's shadow is 10 times as long as the staff's shadow
- According to this statement, \(BD=10\times CD\)
- So, \(\frac{h}{2}=\frac{BD}{CD}=\frac{10\times CD}{CD}\) or \(h=20\)
- Thus, statement 2 alone is sufficient
Hence the right answer is
Option B