The angle of elevation of the top of a tower to a point on the ground is 61 degrees. At a point 600 feet farther from the base, in line with the base and the first point and in the same plane, the angle of elevation is 32 degrees . Find the height of the tower and then choose the best answer.
A. 574
B. 503
C. 601
D. 414
Are you sure this isn't a hw problem?
Solution:
A. 574 (meh. full solution i guess...)
A right triangle is formed with the base measuring 600 ft. The adjacent angle is 32 degrees. Using the trigonometric function tangent, the height of the tower can be solved:
tan 32 = h/600
h = 573.98 ft
So I guess it's A...
The angle of elevation of the top of a tower to a point on the ground is 61 degrees. At a point 600 feet farther from the base, in line with the base and the first point and in the same plane, the angle of elevation is 32 degrees . Find the height of the tower and then choose the best answer.
A. 574
B. 503
C. 601
D. 414
The height of the tower is x.
\(tan(32°)=\frac{x}{\frac{x}{tan(61°)}+600ft}\)
!
Using the rule tan(angle) = opposite / adjacent , we can make two equations:
\(\tan(61^\circ)\ =\ \frac{h}{x}\\~\\ x\tan(61^\circ)\ =\ h\\~\\ x\ =\ \frac{h}{\tan(61^\circ)}\)
...and...
\(\tan(32^\circ)\ =\ \frac{h}{600+x}\\~\\ (600+x)\tan(32^\circ)\ =\ h\\~\\ 600+x\ =\ \frac{h}{\tan(32^\circ)}\\~\\ x\ =\ \frac{h}{\tan(32^\circ)}-600\)
Now we can equate both expressions of x and solve for h:
\(\frac{h}{\tan(61^\circ)}\ =\ \frac{h}{\tan(32^\circ)}-600\\~\\ \frac{h}{\tan(61^\circ)}-\frac{h}{\tan(32^\circ)}\ =\ -600\\~\\ h(\frac{1}{\tan(61^\circ)}-\frac{1}{\tan(32^\circ)})\ =\ -600\\~\\ h\ =\ -600\div(\frac{1}{\tan(61^\circ)}-\frac{1}{\tan(32^\circ)})\\~\\ h\ \approx\ 573.5998\\~\\ h\ \approx\ 574\)