209k views
2 votes
Soren is flying a kite on the beach. The string forms a 45 degree angle with the ground. If he has let out 16

meters of line, how high above the ground is the kite? Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a meter.

User Dgrogan
by
4.1k points

1 Answer

1 vote

Answer: 11 m

Explanation:

We can solve this with the trigonometric function sine if we imagine there is a right triangle formed, where the hypotenuse is the length of the kite string and the triangle's opposite side is the height
H of the kite above ground.

Then:


cos(45\°)=(opposite-side)/(hypotenuse)=(H)/(16 m)

Isolating
H:


H=cos(45\°) (16 m)

Finally:


H=11.31 m \approx 11 m

User Ruzin
by
4.0k points