UPSC Prelims 1999·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

A man is standing on the 8 m long shadow of a 6 m long pole. If the length of his shadow is 2.4 m, what is the height of the man?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A1.4m
  2. B1.6m
  3. C1.8mCorrect
  4. D2.0m

Explanation

The problem is based on the principle of similar triangles. At the same time of day, the ratio of the height of an object to the length of its shadow is constant because the angle of the sun is the same for both the pole and the man. The height of the pole is 6 m and its shadow is 8 m. Therefore, the ratio of height to shadow is 6 divided by 8, which simplifies to 0.75. To find the height of the man, we multiply the length of his shadow by this same ratio. Since his shadow is 2.4 m, the calculation is 2.4 multiplied by 0.75, which equals 1.8 m. Thus, the height of the man is 1.8 m. The correct option is C.
science-and-technology: A man is standing on the 8 m long shadow of a 6 m long pole. If the length of his shadow is 2.4 m, what is the height of

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