The boat, with a reference angle of 23 degrees and an adjacent side of 45 miles, traveled approximately 19.1 miles north, determined using the tangent function.
Reference angle: 23 degrees
Adjacent side: 45 miles
Use the tangent function (TOA):
The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side. The formula is given by:
Tangent(angle) = Opposite/Adjacent
Plugging in the values:
Tan(23 degrees) = x/45
Solve for the opposite side (x):
x = 45 * Tan(23 degrees)
Calculate the result:
Use a calculator to find the value of Tan(23 degrees) and then multiply it by 45:
x = 45 * Tan(23 degrees) ≈ 45 * 0.424474 ≈ 19.1
Therefore, x ≈ 19.1 miles (rounded to the nearest tenth of a mile).
So, the boat traveled approximately 19.1 miles north.