93.8k views
4 votes
A building is 964 feet tall. Two people are standing on the ground directly west of the building. The

first person looks up at an angle of 62 degrees and sees the top of the tower. The second person
looks up at an angle of 26 degrees to see the top of the building. How far apart of the two people
standing? (Assume their eyes are at ground level)

User Arik
by
3.9k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

The distance from both of them = 1463.925 ft

Explanation:

The building is 964 ft tall . 2 people are standing on the ground directly west of the building. The first person looks up at an angle of 62° to the top of the building while the second person did same at an angle of 26°. The distance between them can be computed below.

The illustration forms a right angle triangle . Using the SOHCAHTOA principle let us find the distance of the second person from the building

tan 26° = opposite/adjacent

tan 26° = 964/adjacent

adjacent tan 26° = 964

adjacent = 964/tan 26°

adjacent = 964/0.48773258856

adjacent = 1976.49290328 ft

The distance from the second person to the building = 1976.493 ft

Distance of the first person to the building

tan 62° = opposite/adjacent

tan 62° = 964/adjacent

adjacent tan 62° = 964

adjacent = 964/tan 62°

adjacent = 964/1.88072646535

adjacent = 512.567892122

distance from the first person to the building = 512.568 ft

The distance from both of them = 1976.493 ft - 512.568 ft = 1463.925 ft

User Rtcherry
by
3.9k points