Question

A plane flying at a certain altitude is observed from two points that are 3 miles apart. The angles of elevation made by the two points are 55�� and 72��. What is the altitude of the plane to the nearest tenth of a mile?

Answer 1

To find the altitude of the plane, you can use trigonometry and create a right triangle. By using the tangent function, you can solve for the altitude.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the altitude of the plane, we can use trigonometry and create a right triangle. Let's call the altitude 'h'. From the given information, we have:

Angle of elevation = 55°

Angle of elevation = 72°

Distance between the two points = 3 miles

We can use the tangent function to find the altitude:

tan(55°) = h/3

tan(72°) = h/3

Solving these equations, we find h to be approximately 2.8 miles.