Question

boating across a river, the current moves you downstream. instead of going directly across the river, the boat moves at a 25 degree angle. if the river is 375 feet across, how far will you end up downstream

Answer 1

tan(25°) = 375/x ⇒ x = 375 feet / tan(25°) = 375 feet/ 0.466 = 804 feet

Answer 2

You can build a righ triangle with:

- angle 25°
- opposite side to 25°: 375 feet (across distance)
- adjacent side to 25°: x, the unknown information

Then, tan(25°) = 375/x ⇒ x = 375 feet / tan(25°) = 375 feet/ 0.466 = 804 feet