Math Problem Statement

A boy standing away from the bottom of a tower sees its top at an elevation of 60°. Stepping 20 meters back, he sees it at an elevation of 30°. The boy is 1 meter tall. (a) Draw a rough figure based on the given details. (b) What is the height of the tower?

Solution

Let's break this problem down and solve it step by step:

Part a) Drawing a rough figure

We can visualize the problem by drawing two right-angled triangles representing the two different observations by the boy.

  1. Initial position: The boy is standing at a point where he sees the top of the tower at an elevation of 6060^\circ. Let’s call the horizontal distance between this position and the base of the tower as d1d_1.

  2. Stepping back 20 meters: The boy steps back 20 meters, and the elevation to the top of the tower decreases to 3030^\circ. Let the new distance from the tower be d2=d1+20d_2 = d_1 + 20.

The height of the tower is the same in both triangles, and the boy's height (1 meter) is factored in.

Part b) Finding the height of the tower

Let’s assume:

  • hTh_T is the height of the tower.
  • d1d_1 is the initial horizontal distance from the tower.

We have two right-angled triangles:

  • From the first observation at 6060^\circ, we can use the trigonometric relation: tan(60)=hT1d1\tan(60^\circ) = \frac{h_T - 1}{d_1} This gives us: 3=hT1d1\sqrt{3} = \frac{h_T - 1}{d_1} hT1=d13(Equation 1)h_T - 1 = d_1\sqrt{3} \quad \text{(Equation 1)}

  • From the second observation at 3030^\circ, the relation is: tan(30)=hT1d1+20\tan(30^\circ) = \frac{h_T - 1}{d_1 + 20} 13=hT1d1+20\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{h_T - 1}{d_1 + 20} hT1=d1+203(Equation 2)h_T - 1 = \frac{d_1 + 20}{\sqrt{3}} \quad \text{(Equation 2)}

Solving for d1d_1 and hTh_T:

From Equation 1 and Equation 2, we have two expressions for hT1h_T - 1. Equating them gives: d13=d1+203d_1\sqrt{3} = \frac{d_1 + 20}{\sqrt{3}} Multiplying both sides by 3\sqrt{3} to eliminate the fraction: 3d1=d1+203d_1 = d_1 + 20 2d1=202d_1 = 20 d1=10metersd_1 = 10 \, \text{meters}

Now, substitute d1=10d_1 = 10 back into Equation 1 to find the height of the tower: hT1=103h_T - 1 = 10\sqrt{3} hT=1+103=1+17.32=18.32metersh_T = 1 + 10\sqrt{3} = 1 + 17.32 = 18.32 \, \text{meters}

Thus, the height of the tower is approximately 18.32 meters.


Do you need further clarifications or details?

Here are five related questions to deepen your understanding:

  1. How would the calculations change if the boy's height were different?
  2. What would happen to the angle of elevation if the boy moved even further back?
  3. How can we verify the answer using trigonometric identities?
  4. How do different trigonometric functions relate to angle and distance in such problems?
  5. Can this problem be solved graphically as well?

Tip: Always double-check your trigonometric calculations, especially when working with different angles and distances.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Right-Angled Triangles
Angle of Elevation

Formulas

tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent

Theorems

Trigonometric Ratios

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-11