Math Problem Statement

A woman standing on a hill sees a flagpole that she knows is 35 ft tall. The angle of depression to the bottom of the pole is 14°, and the angle of elevation to the top of the pole is 18°. Find her distance x from the pole. (Round your answer to one decimal place.)

Solution

To find the distance xx from the woman to the flagpole, we can use trigonometric relationships. The problem involves a right triangle with different angles of elevation and depression, which allows us to break the height of the flagpole into two segments and solve for xx.

Step 1: Understand the Triangle Setup

The flagpole height hh is 35 feet. The height can be broken into two parts:

  • The height corresponding to the angle of elevation θ1=18\theta_1 = 18^\circ
  • The height corresponding to the angle of depression θ2=14\theta_2 = 14^\circ

Step 2: Calculate the Components

Let's denote the following:

  • h1h_1: Height from the bottom of the pole to the observer's eye level (associated with angle of depression).
  • h2h_2: Height from the top of the pole to the observer's eye level (associated with angle of elevation).
  • xx: Distance from the observer to the pole.

Given:

  • h1=h×sin(14)h_1 = h \times \sin(14^\circ)
  • h2=h×sin(18)h_2 = h \times \sin(18^\circ)
  • h1+h2=35h_1 + h_2 = 35 ft

Step 3: Trigonometric Relationships

From the geometry of the situation:

  • x=h1tan(14)=h2tan(18)x = \frac{h_1}{\tan(14^\circ)} = \frac{h_2}{\tan(18^\circ)}

Step 4: Solve for xx

Now, we solve for xx:

x=35tan(18)+tan(14)x = \frac{35}{\tan(18^\circ) + \tan(14^\circ)}

Let's calculate the value of xx.

Calculation

I will calculate the exact value of xx.The distance xx from the woman to the flagpole is approximately 60.9 feet.

Would you like more details on how this was calculated or have any other questions?

Here are some related questions you might find interesting:

  1. How would the result change if the height of the flagpole was different?
  2. What would happen if the angles of elevation and depression were equal?
  3. How could we calculate the horizontal distance to the pole if the woman was not on a hill?
  4. What trigonometric identities are used to solve such problems?
  5. How does the distance change with different angles of elevation or depression?

Tip: When solving problems involving angles of elevation and depression, always break down the problem into smaller right triangles to simplify your calculations.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Geometry

Formulas

Trigonometric ratios
Angle of elevation
Angle of depression

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12