Word Problem Wednesday: Jack & The Beanstalk

By Mathnasium | Added Mar 1, 2017

Fee-fi-fo-fum, we smell mathematical proportion fun!

A fairytale favorite is the inspiration for today's Word Problem Wednesday.  See if you can solve this teaser and check back tomorrow for the answer.

Jack casts an 8' shadow.  If Jack is 5' tall, then how tall is a bean stalk that casts a 1,600' shadow?

Update:  Here's the solution!

Jack is five-eighths of his shadow's length.  So, the bean stalk's height will be five-eighths of its shadow's length.  One eighth of 1,600 feet is 200 feet, so five eighths of 1,600 feet is 200 x 5 = 1,000 feet.

 

Illustration: David Creighton-Pester via WanderingBert.com