Question

I want to make sure I am doing this right (trigonometry question). .While crossing the Atlantic, sailors spot two mermaids 120° apart on each end of an island that is 6 miles away. How far apart are the mermaids around the outer edge of the island to the nearest tenth of a mile?

Answer 1

The first step to solve this problem is to sketch the figure. Next step is to find the side that is opposite of one 60° angles,
tan(60) = base/6
base = 6[tan(60)]
The mermaids are 12(√3) miles apart around the outer edge of the island.