1. Convert 2 feet, 9 inches to feet: 2.75 feet, since 9 inches is 3/4 of a foot.
2. Set up a ratio for the man comparing height to shadow length:
6 feet / 2.75 feet
3. Set this ratio equal to a simlar ratio for the pole:
[tex]\dfrac{6 \text{ feet}}{2.75 \text{ feet}} =\dfrac{x \text{ feet}}{15 \text{ feet}}[/tex]
4. Solve the equation by multiplying by 15 on both sides of the equation:
[tex]15 \cdot \dfrac{6 }{2.75 } =x[/tex]
or x ≈ 32.727272... or x ≈ 33 to the nearest foot
