Flagpole questions:

I asked the following three questions. (Ok, to be honest, it took more than three attempts for me to word the questions sufficiently enough for me to obtain the required information.)

1. How tall is the flagpole? (Answer: about 20 feet tall)

2. Determine the point on the power line that is closest to the flagpole, i.e., the point on the wire most likely to be struck by the falling pole. If you are standing directly underneath the wire, how far away is the base of the flagpole? (Answer: about 18 feet)

3. While standing at the same position, how high above the ground is the wire directly overhead? (Answer: about 16 feet)

Notice the use of the word "about". We'll need to account for the approximate measurements given and leave a reasonable margin for error. Other appropriate factors to consider are the amount of sway in the power line and change in elevation of the power line, so once again, err on the side of caution.