Thread: Right Triangle Trig Applications (Needs checking)

Okay i'm doing h.w. right now and i'm trying to solve these without having to look at my notes:


The angle elevation of the sun is 40 degrees. To the neaest foot, find the height of a tree whose shadow is 35 ft long.

35 x tan (40) = 29 degrees


A washington monument is 555 ft high If you are standing one quarter of a mile or 1320 ft, from the base of the monument, and looking to the top, find he angle of elevation to the nearest degree.

-1 tan (555/1320) = 2 degrees

A road is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees. After driving 5000 ft along this road, find the driver's increase in altitude. Round to the neares foot.

This one and the next one, i'm a bit lost at going about solving. Would I use sin for this?

A telephone pole is 55 ft tall. A guy wire 88 ft long is placed from the ground to the top of the pole. Find the distance between the wire and the pole to the nearest degree.

Originally Posted by MajorJohnson

Okay i'm doing h.w. right now and i'm trying to solve these without having to look at my notes:


The angle elevation of the sun is 40 degrees. To the neaest foot, find the height of a tree whose shadow is 35 ft long.

35 x tan (40) = 29 degrees

The 29 is correct but why did you say degrees?

Oh, sorry I meant 29 ft.

What about the second one?

Originally Posted by MajorJohnson

Oh, sorry I meant 29 ft.

What about the second one?

I get

Use pythagora's thoerem for the third one.

I must have misread my calculator when i punched it in, I had those exact steps written out.

For the third one, i've done this, not sure if its right though:

5000 x tan(5) = 437.4

a + 437.4 = 5000

4563 ft

On a side note, how did you get that problem to show up like that?