Given:
Height of access ramp = 6 foot
Ramp ends at a point 40 feet away along the ground.
To find:
The angle of depression in nearest tenth of a degree.
Solution:
Using the given information, draw a figure as shown below.
In a right angle triangle,
![\tan \theta = \frac{\text{Perpendicular}}{\text{Base}}](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/tnfgy4qyess7bso4sdwlvdq6gm3tv1lg20.png)
In triangle ABC,
![\tan \theta=(AB)/(BC)](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/dq3ue6ypmg15m6mkvik417x03ar9562l6c.png)
![\tan \theta=(6)/(40)](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/z5t3fdc5l1gj90x0fp345fzg896g4i1yvw.png)
![\tan \theta=0.15](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/e53i7e037v9rkm8fwdby2jxp3qmb7zm7bd.png)
Taking tan inverse on both sides.
![\theta=\tan^(-1)(0.15)](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/pnqvmk3oas76il9zflswuzg02lrl16c0s9.png)
![\theta=8.5307656](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/4clfkj5e75srigvzb9b34dwgxqm72v0ltu.png)
![\theta \approx 8.5](https://img.qammunity.org/2021/formulas/mathematics/high-school/e802k6xm0juupm5jzlzfubq5wpmprxvrl3.png)
Therefore, the angle of depression is 8.5 degrees.