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 solve this problem, we'll use trigonometric principles, specifically the tangent function. The problem gives us two angles: the angle of depression to the bottom of the flagpole (14°) and the angle of elevation to the top of the flagpole (18°). We'll break the problem into two parts to find the distance from the woman to the flagpole.
Step 1: Understanding the setup
- Height of the flagpole = 35 ft.
- Angle of depression to the bottom of the pole = 14°.
- Angle of elevation to the top of the pole = 18°.
Step 2: Define variables
Let:
- be the horizontal distance from the woman to the pole.
- be the height of the woman above the bottom of the pole.
Step 3: Use trigonometry
For the angle of elevation to the top of the pole:
- We know that .
For the angle of depression to the bottom of the pole:
- We know that .
Step 4: Solve for
We can set up two equations from the tangent functions:
- ⟹
- ⟹
Now, substitute the expression for from the second equation into the first equation:
Step 5: Solve for
Let's solve this equation numerically:
Step 6: Calculate the final answer
Now, calculate the value of using the tangents of the given angles.
Let's compute this value:
So, the distance from the woman to the pole is approximately 462.0 feet.
Would you like further details or have any questions?
Here are five related questions to explore:
- How would the problem change if the height of the flagpole were different?
- What if the angles of elevation and depression were swapped?
- How would you solve the problem if only one of the angles was given?
- Can you derive a general formula for any similar situation?
- How does the problem change if the flagpole is on a flat surface instead of a hill?
Tip: Always double-check the trigonometric values, as small errors can lead to significantly different results in real-world applications.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Trigonometry
Formulas
Tangent function
Theorems
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Suitable Grade Level
High school
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