Question

Helicopter spots two landing pads in opposite directions below. The angle of depression to

Pad A and Pad B is 46° and 16° respectively. If the straight-line distance from the helicopter to
Pad A is 5 miles, find the distance between the landing pads.

Answer 1

To find the distance between the landing pads, we can use trigonometry. We can calculate the height from the helicopter to Pad A and the height from the helicopter to Pad B using the angles of depression and the distance from the helicopter to Pad A. Finally, we can subtract the height of Pad B from the height of Pad A to find the vertical distance between the two landing pads.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance between the landing pads, we can use trigonometry. Let's start by finding the height from the helicopter to Pad A. We know that the angle of depression to Pad A is 46° and the straight-line distance from the helicopter to Pad A is 5 miles. Using trigonometry, we can calculate that the height from the helicopter to Pad A is 5 * tan(46°) miles.

Similarly, we can find the height from the helicopter to Pad B using the angle of depression to Pad B and the same distance of 5 miles. The height from the helicopter to Pad B is 5 * tan(16°) miles.

Now, we can subtract the height of Pad B from the height of Pad A to find the vertical distance between the two landing pads.

Answer 2

The distance between the landing pad ≈ 23.13 miles

Step-by-step explanation:

The plane saw 2 landing pads in opposite direction . The angles of depression to pad A and pad B are 46° and 16°. The straight line distance from the helicopter to pad A is 5 miles .

The illustration forms a triangle with 2 half's of a right angle triangle.

Pad A right angle triangle

let us use this triangle to find the opposite sides which is the same for both right angle triangle formed .

tan 46° = opposite/adjacent

tan 46° = a/5

a = 5 tan 46°

a = 5 × 1.03553031379

a = 5.17765156895

a = 5. 2 miles

Pad B right angle triangle

Let us find the straight line distance from the helicopter to pad B.

The distance is the adjacent side of the triangle.

tan 16° = opposite/adjacent

tan 16° = 5.2/adjacent

adjacent = 5.2/0.28674538575

adjacent = 18.134555108

adjacent = 18.135

Straight line distance from the helicopter to pad B = 18.135 miles

The distance between the landing pad = 5 + 18.135 = 23.134555108 miles

The distance between the landing pads ≈ 23.13 miles