Question

A field goal post in football is 3.33 yards above the ground. If a football player kicks the ball at a 10° angle in a straight line toward the goal post, what is the distance away, in yards, where the ball barely goes over the goal post?

A) 5.1
B) 7.7
C) 14.6
D) 18.9

Answer 1

The tangent of an angle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side. If d is the distance to the goal post, then
tan(10°) = (3.33 m)/d
d = (3.33 m)/tan(10°)
d ≈ 18.9 m

The appropriate choice is
D) 18.9