Question

Draw a picture of the problem in your notebook and then submit your answer after you have calculated it.

HELP ASAP TIMED - GIVING 35 PTS

An observation tower is 75 m high. A support wire is attached to the tower 20 m from

the top. If the support wire and the ground form an angle of 46 degrees, what is the

length of the support wire?

Careful here. A support wire is attached to a tower ON THE TOWER, not in outer space and is anchored in the ground. Think of two wires holding up a newly planted tree. They are not at the top of the tree, but are attached part way down.

Answer 1

Using trigonometry, we can determine that the length of the support wire is approximately 91.7 meters, by using the tangent function of the angle and solving for the hypotenuse of the right triangle formed by the tower, the support wire, and the ground.