Question

A plane is 3.5 miles above the ground. The pilot sights the airport at an angle of depression of 20 ∘. To the nearest tenth of a mile, what is the ground distance between the plane and the airport? Enter the ground distance to the nearest tenth of a mile.

Answer 1

9.6 miles

Explanation:

Looking at the diagram we have everything we need except for the adjacent.

We know the formula of the tan∅ =
`(opposite)/(adjacent)`

where ∅ = 20 and opposite is 3.5.

Solving for adjacent yields 9.6 miles.