Question

A pole is 65 feet tall. Noah is standing at the base of a support wire that is attached to the top of the pole. He notices that the angle of elevation to the top of the pole is 56° . How long is the support wire? Round to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

78.4

Explanation:

x - the length of the support wire;

x · sin 56° = 65

x = 65 / sin 56°

x = 65 / 0.8290

x = 116.237 ≈ 116.2 ft ( to the nearest tenth )

Answer 2

We know that h = 65 ft and the angle of elevation to the top is α = 56°.
x - the length of the support wire;
x · cos 56° = 65
x = 65 / cos 56°
x = 65 / 0.5592
x = 116.237 ≈ 116.2 ft ( to the nearest tenth )
Answer: The support wire is 116.2 ft long.