Question

Please Help I'm Confused...

Tessa has leaned a ladder against the side of her house. The ladder forms a 63˚ angle with the ground and rests against the house at a spot that is 8 meters high.

Which length is the best approximation for the distance along the ground from the bottom of the ladder to the wall?

1. 2 m
2. 3 m
3. 4 m
4. 5 m

Answer 1

tan 63 = 8/(distance to the well)
distance to the well = 8/tan 63 = 4 m

Answer 2

The best approximation for the distance is 3.) 4 meters. Since the resulting figure forms a right triangle, you can use the mnemonic SOHCAHTOA. Since the angle has an opposite given distance while the value to be solved is adjacent to the angle, use TOA or Tangentθ = Opposite Side/Adjacent side. Wherein θ represents the angle.

So the equation looks like this:

Tangent (63) = 8m / x
1.96 = 8m/x
0.245 = 1/x
1 / 0.245 = x
X = 4.08m