A helicopter is flying over a lake and sights a boat at an angle of depression of 35 degrees. The water-surface distance from the helicopter to the boat is 2300 feet. Find the altitude of the helicopter to the nearest foot.
1610ft, 3285, 1319ft, 4010ft
2007-08-26 17:54:05 · 3 answers · asked by xlhollisterboi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent = (height)/(distance)
tan(35) = h/2300
h = 2300*tan(35)
h = 1610.48 ft
Altitude of the helicopter is 1610 ft approx.
2007-08-26 18:02:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all-- apply some quick logic! If you looked down at the boat at an angle of 45 degrees (visualize a 45degree triangle) your height above the water would be the same as the water-surface distance to the boat i.e. 2300 ft. You are looking down at a shallower angle. Now-- if you were looking a an angle of almost zero degrees the boat would be somewhere ahead of you and you would be right at the surface of the water. So--at 35 degrees you are less than 2300 feet above the water.
You only have 2 answers that are less than 2300 ft. The exact answer is the solution for the "tangent" of your specific triangle h/2300 = tangent 35 (degs) or: h= 2300(tan.35) Have fun!
2007-08-26 18:14:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1610 ft
2007-08-27 02:20:05 · answer #3 · answered by Will 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋