Math Problem Statement

A man, M, positions himself on a river bank as in the diagram alongside, so he can observe two poles A and B of equal height on the opposite bank of the river. He finds the angle of elevation to the top of pole A is 22°, and the angle of elevation to the top of pole B is 19°. Show how he could use these facts to determine the width of the river if he knows that A and B are 100 m apart.

Solution

To determine the width of the river (distance dd from point MM to point AA on the opposite bank), we can use trigonometry, as the problem provides two angles of elevation and the distance between poles AA and BB (100 m).

Let's break down the solution step-by-step:

  1. Define the Variables and Set Up Triangles:

    • Let hh represent the height of both poles AA and BB.
    • dd is the width of the river (the horizontal distance from MM to AA).
    • The angle of elevation from MM to the top of pole AA is 2222^\circ.
    • The angle of elevation from MM to the top of pole BB is 1919^\circ.
    • The distance between AA and BB is 100 m.
  2. Use the Tangent Function: For the two angles of elevation, we can set up the following equations based on the tangent of each angle:

    tan(22)=hd\tan(22^\circ) = \frac{h}{d} tan(19)=hd+100\tan(19^\circ) = \frac{h}{d + 100}

  3. Solve for hh in Terms of dd: From the first equation: h=dtan(22)h = d \cdot \tan(22^\circ)

    Substitute this expression for hh in the second equation: dtan(22)=(d+100)tan(19)d \cdot \tan(22^\circ) = (d + 100) \cdot \tan(19^\circ)

  4. Expand and Solve for dd: Distribute tan(19)\tan(19^\circ): dtan(22)=dtan(19)+100tan(19)d \cdot \tan(22^\circ) = d \cdot \tan(19^\circ) + 100 \cdot \tan(19^\circ)

    Rearrange to isolate dd: d(tan(22)tan(19))=100tan(19)d (\tan(22^\circ) - \tan(19^\circ)) = 100 \cdot \tan(19^\circ)

    Now, solve for dd: d=100tan(19)tan(22)tan(19)d = \frac{100 \cdot \tan(19^\circ)}{\tan(22^\circ) - \tan(19^\circ)}

  5. Calculate dd: Substitute the values for the tangents (using approximate values for simplicity):

    • tan(22)0.4040\tan(22^\circ) \approx 0.4040
    • tan(19)0.3443\tan(19^\circ) \approx 0.3443

    d=1000.34430.40400.3443d = \frac{100 \cdot 0.3443}{0.4040 - 0.3443}

    d34.430.0597d \approx \frac{34.43}{0.0597}

    d576.8 metersd \approx 576.8 \text{ meters}

Conclusion

The width of the river dd is approximately 576.8 meters.

Would you like more details on any part of this calculation or have further questions?


Related Questions:

  1. How would the result change if the angles were closer together?
  2. Could we solve this problem with other trigonometric functions, like sine or cosine?
  3. How does the distance between poles AA and BB affect the result?
  4. What would happen if the poles were of different heights?
  5. How accurate would the measurement be if angles were rounded?

Tip:

Always check for alternate approaches using trigonometric identities for complex angle-based problems.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Angle of Elevation
Tangent Function

Formulas

tan(θ) = opposite / adjacent
d = (100 * tan(19°)) / (tan(22°) - tan(19°))

Theorems

Trigonometric Ratios
Right Triangle Properties

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12