If Mary's house is 40 feet tall and this is 8 times Mary's height, we are looking to express Mary's height in terms of the house's height. Let's let [tex]\( m \)[/tex] represent Mary's height in feet. According to the information given:
The house's height = 8 times Mary's height.
So, we can set up the equation as:
[tex]\[ 40 \text{ feet (the house's height)} = 8 \times m \text{ (Mary's height)} \][/tex]
To solve for Mary's height ([tex]\( m \)[/tex]), we need to isolate [tex]\( m \)[/tex] on one side of the equation. This is done by dividing both sides of the equation by 8:
[tex]\[ \frac{40 \text{ feet}}{8} = \frac{8 \times m}{8} \][/tex]
When we divide both sides by 8, we get:
[tex]\[ m = 5 \text{ feet} \][/tex]
So, the equation that can be used to find Mary's height is:
[tex]\[ m = \frac{40 \text{ feet}}{8} \][/tex]
Upon solving this equation, we find that Mary's height is 5 feet.
