Question

Please Help and can you explain what you did. Thank you.

Paula spots a glider located at an angle of elevation of 42°. The distance between the glider and Paula is 3280 feet. To the nearest foot, what is the height of the glider h from the ground? Show your work.

Answer 1

hi here is what I got

opposite the angle (42)

Using trigonometric ratios:

Sin = Opposite/Hypotenuse

Sin(42) = Opposite/3280

Cross multiply

Opposite = sin(42) x 3280

Opposite = 2194.7 feet (1 decimal place)

Answer 2

Sighting from Paula's location and the 42-degree angle, the height of the glider is the "opp side" of a triangle whose hypotenuse is 3280 ft.

The sine function best brings together the info we have and want:

sin 42 degrees = opp / hyp = height / 3280 ft.

Mult. both sides of this equation by 3280 ft, we get height = 2195 ft.