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An eagle 311 feet in the air spots its prey on the ground. The angle of depression to its prey is 15°. What is the distance between the eagle and its prey? Round to the nearest foot.​

User Vrac
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1 Answer

2 votes
I think the answer is 1,161 feet

Sorry if that’s incorrect, but here’s the explanation in case you need it:

The tangent of a triangle is the opposite leg over the adjacent leg. 311 is the opposite leg, and X would be the adjacent leg. So 311 divided by x is equal to tan 15. If we rearrange this to be equal to X, X equals 311 divided by tan 15. Tan 15 is equal to 0.2679, so 311/0.2679 = 1,160.6. That amount rounds up to 1,161, giving you the answer of 1,161 feet.
User Allen Koo
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