Question

After a windstorm, a leaning pole makes a 75° angle with the road surface. The pole casts a 15-foot shadow when the sun is at a 45° angle of elevation. About how long is the pole?

11.0ft
12.2ft
16.7ft
20.5ft

Answer 1

12.2 ft

Explanation:

Let length of pole be l.

In triangle ACD.

cos75 =x/l ...............................1

In triangle ABD

tan45 =1 = lsin(75)/(15-x) ..........................2

Now solve this linear equations

l(sin75 + cos75) =15

Square on both side

`l^(2)=(225*2)/(3)`

length of pole =12.2 ft