From Math Images |The Shadow Problem| The Shadow Problem - In
the 1991 film Shadows and Fog, the eerie shadow of a larger-
than-life figure appears against the wall as the shady figure
lurks around the corner. How tall really is the ominous
character? Filmmakers use the geometry of shadows and triangles
to make this special effect. The shadow problem is a standard
type of problem for teaching trigonometry and the geometry of
triangles. In the standard shadow problem, several elements of a
triangle will be given. The process by which the rest of the
elements are found is referred to as solving a triangle. Basic
DescriptionA triangle has six total elements: three sides and
three angles. Sides are valued by length, and angles are valued
by degree or radian measure. According to postulates for
Congruent triangles, given three elements, the other three
elements can always be determined as long as at least one side
length is given. Math problems that involve solving triangles,
like shadow problems, typically provide