Mickey uses a mirror and similar triangles to find the height of a light pole near her driveway. The diagram describes her method.

She has her friend move the mirror until she can see the top of the pole as a reflection in the mirror. Due to the law of reflection in physics, angles 1 and 2 are congruent. Since both triangles are right triangles, they each also have a right angle. The triangles are, as a result of having two pairs of congruent angles, similar.
a. How can Mickey use this fact to find the height of the pole?
b. What is the height of the pole, to the nearest foot?

Transcribed Image Text:

5' 6 20'- h