Math Problem Statement

A water tower 30 m tall is located at the top of a hill. From a distance of D = 115 m down the hill it is observed that the angle formed between the top and base of the tower is 8°. Find the angle of inclination of the hill. (Round your answer to one decimal place.)

Solution

To find the angle of inclination of the hill, we can use trigonometry. We have a right triangle formed by the height of the water tower, the distance from the observer to the base of the tower, and the line of sight to the top of the tower.

  1. Height of the tower (h): 30 m
  2. Distance from the observer to the base of the tower (D): 115 m
  3. Angle of elevation (θ): 8°

Step 1: Find the horizontal distance from the observer to the base of the hill (x).

Using the tangent of the angle of elevation:

tan(θ)=hx\tan(θ) = \frac{h}{x}

x=htan(θ)=30tan(8°)x = \frac{h}{\tan(θ)} = \frac{30}{\tan(8°)}

Calculating xx:

x300.1405213.5 mx ≈ \frac{30}{0.1405} ≈ 213.5 \text{ m}

Step 2: Find the total distance down the hill (D + x).

Total distance down the hill=D+x=115+213.5328.5 m\text{Total distance down the hill} = D + x = 115 + 213.5 ≈ 328.5 \text{ m}

Step 3: Use the sine function to find the angle of inclination (α) of the hill.

In this triangle, we have:

sin(α)=hTotal distance down the hill=30328.5\sin(α) = \frac{h}{\text{Total distance down the hill}} = \frac{30}{328.5}

Calculating αα:

α=arcsin(30328.5)α = \arcsin\left(\frac{30}{328.5}\right)

Calculating this gives:

αarcsin(0.0912)5.2°α ≈ \arcsin(0.0912) ≈ 5.2°

Final Answer

The angle of inclination of the hill is approximately 5.2° (rounded to one decimal place).

Would you like more details or have any questions? Here are some related questions you might consider:

  1. How would the angle change if the height of the tower were different?
  2. What would happen to the angle if the distance down the hill increased?
  3. How can this setup be applied to other real-world scenarios?
  4. What other trigonometric functions could be used in this problem?
  5. How would you solve this problem using different units (e.g., feet)?

Tip: Always draw a diagram when dealing with trigonometric problems to visualize the relationships better.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Right Triangles
Angle of Elevation

Formulas

tan(θ) = h/x
sin(α) = h/Total distance

Theorems

Sine and Tangent Functions

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12