Question

At an altitude Of 2000 feet, a skydiver measures the angle of depression from himself to the landing zone. The measure of that angle is 36ﾟ. How far is the skydiver from the landing zone? Round to the nearest foot. ​

Answer 1

Using trigonometry and the tangent function, we can determine that the skydiver is approximately 2753 feet away from the landing zone.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can use trigonometry. Let's assume that the skydiver is at point A and the landing zone is at point B. The angle of depression, 36ﾟ, is formed by a horizontal line from the skydiver to the landing zone and a line from the skydiver's position to the ground. The opposite side of the angle is the altitude of 2000 feet. We can use the tangent function to find the distance from the skydiver to the landing zone.

Tan(angle) = opposite/adjacent

Tan(36ﾟ) = 2000/adjacent

Adjacent = 2000/tan(36ﾟ)

Adjacent = 2000/0.7265

Adjacent ≈ 2752.51 feet

Rounding to the nearest foot, the skydiver is approximately 2753 feet away from the landing zone.

Answer 2

I made a diagram for the problem, as it is more helpful to explain, solve, and understand such problems with diagrams supported by words than by words alone.