Question

Mayfield high school flagpole is 15feet high, using clinometer tamara measures angle of 11.3, to the top of pole; tamara is 62 inches tall, how far from the flagpole is tamara standing?

Answer 1

Visualizing the given, we have

`\begin{gathered} \text{We can solve this using tangent function} \\ \\ \tan 11.3\degree=(BC)/(AC) \end{gathered}`

Find BC

Convert Tamara's height into feet first

62 inches → 31/6 feet

BC = 15 feet - 31/6 feet

BC = 59/6 feet

Now that we have BC, we can solve for AC (which is the distance from the flagpole to where Tamara is standing.

`\begin{gathered} \tan 11.3\degree=(BC)/(AC) \\ AC=(BC)/(\tan 11.3\degree) \\ AC=\frac{(59)/(6)\text{ feet}}{\tan 11.3\degree} \\ AC=49.21102605\text{ feet} \end{gathered}`

Rounding off to the nearest 2 decimal place.

The flagpole is 49.21 feet to where Tamara is standing.