Question

The circle at the right represents a planet. The radius of the planet is about 4700 km. Find the distance d to the horizon that a person can see

on a clear day from the following height h above the planet
h=2 km
A person can see a distance of approximately km on a clear day from a height of 2 km above the given planet.

Answer 1

137.13km

Explanation:

A right triangle is formed, where h + r = 2+ 4700= 4702 km is the hypotenuse, r = 4700km is one leg and d is the other leg. By Pythagorean theorem:

4702² = 4700² + d²

d² = 4702² - 4700²

d = √18,804

d = 137.13 km