McGraw Hill Integrated II, 2012
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McGraw Hill Integrated II, 2012 View details
5. Angles of Elevation and Depression
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Exercise 17 Page 667

Recall the definition of the tangent.

≈ 154.9 ft

Practice makes perfect

We are given that a digital camera with a panoramic lens is described as having a view with an angle of elevation of 38^(∘), and this camera is on a 3-foot tripod aimed directly at a 124-foot tall monument. Let's begin with sketching a diagram describing the given situation, and we will name the vertices.

First, let's evaluate the length of BC.

BC= 124- 3=121 We will add this information to our diagram. Since we are asked to evaluate the horizontal distance between the tripod and the monument, we will call it x.

To evaluate the value of x, we can use one of the trigonometric ratios. Let's recall that the tangent of ∠ A is the ratio of the leg opposite ∠ A to the leg adjacent ∠ A. Using this definition, we can create an equation for tan 38^(∘). tan 38^(∘)=121/x Let's solve the above equation.
tan 38^(∘)=121/x
xtan38^(∘)=121
x=121/tan 38^(∘)
x=154.8729...
x≈ 154.9
We should place the tripod approximately 154.9 feet away from the monument.