An airplane is flying at an elevation level of 6200 feet above a straight highway. The pilot spots two cars on the highway in front of him. The angle of depression to one car is 25 and the angle of depression to the other car is 17. How far apart are the cars?

To find the distance between the two cars on the highway, we can use trigonometry. We have the angles of depression and the height of the airplane.

1. **Convert angles of depression to angles of elevation:** 
   - The angle of depression to the first car is \(25^\circ\).
   - The angle of depression to the second car is \(17^\circ\).

2. **Use the height of the airplane:** 
   The height \(h\) of the airplane is \(6200\) feet.

3. **Calculate the horizontal distances from the airplane to each car:**
   - For the first car:
     \[
     \tan(25^\circ) = \frac{h}{d_1} \Rightarrow d_1 = \frac{h}{\tan(25^\circ)} = \frac{6200}{\tan(25^\circ)}
     \]
   - For the second car:
     \[
     \tan(17^\circ) = \frac{h}{d_2} \Rightarrow d_2 = \frac{h}{\tan(17^\circ)} = \frac{6200}{\tan(17^\circ)}
     \]

4. **Calculate the distances:**
   - \(d_1 = \frac{6200}{\tan(25^\circ)}\)
   - \(d_2 = \frac{6200}{\tan(17^\circ)}\)

5. **Find the distance between the two cars:**
   \[
   \text{Distance between cars} = d_2 - d_1
   \]

Now let's perform the calculations.

### Calculating \(d_1\) and \(d_2\)

- **Using a calculator:**
  - \(\tan(25^\circ) \approx 0.4663\)
  - \(\tan(17^\circ) \approx 0.3057\)

1. **Calculate \(d_1\):**
   \[
   d_1 = \frac{6200}{0.4663} \approx 13251.59 \text{ feet}
   \]

2. **Calculate \(d_2\):**
   \[
   d_2 = \frac{6200}{0.3057} \approx 20249.60 \text{ feet}
   \]

3. **Distance between the cars:**
   \[
   \text{Distance} = d_2 - d_1 \approx 20249.60 - 13251.59 \approx 6998.01 \text{ feet}
   \]

### Conclusion
The distance between the two cars is approximately **6998.01 feet**.

If you need any further details or have questions, let me know! Here are some related questions you might consider:

1. What would happen to the distances if the height of the airplane changed?
2. How would the angles of depression change if the cars were further apart?
3. Can this problem be solved using different methods, such as coordinate geometry?
4. What are the implications of angle measurements in real-world navigation?
5. How does altitude affect the pilot's visibility of objects on the ground? 

**Tip:** Always double-check your angle measurements when working with trigonometric calculations to avoid errors.

Solve a real-world trigonometry problem involving an airplane's elevation and angles of depression to two cars on a highway. Learn to calculate horizontal distances using trigonometric formulas and find how far apart the cars are. This problem is suitable for high school students in Grades 10-12.

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