Question

Xochitl spots an airplane on radar that is currently approaching in a straight line, and that will fly directly overhead. The plane maintains a constant altitude of 7425 feet. Xochitl initially measures an angle of elevation of 19° to the plane at point A. At some later time, she measures an angle of elevation of 37° to the plane at point B.

Find the distance the plane traveled from point A to point B. Round your answer to the nearest foot if necessary.

Answer 1

d1 - d2 ≈ 9917.4 feet ≈ 3021 meters

Explanation:

tan(19°) = 7425/d1

tan(37°) = 7425/d2

Solving for d1 and d2, we get:

d1 = 7425/tan(19°) ≈ 22977.6 feet

d2 = 7425/tan(37°) ≈ 13060.2 feet

Therefore, the distance the plane traveled from point A to point B is:

d1 - d2 ≈ 9917.4 feet ≈ 3021 meters