Question

From the top of a 200-ft lighthouse, the angle of depression to a ship in the ocean is 23 degrees. How far is the ship from the base of the lighthouse?

Answer 1

distance/height=tanx, where x is the angle of depression. this is the angle the hypotenuse makes with the vertical side of the triangle. so d=200/tan(23)

Answer 2

tan 23 =200/base ===>base = 200/tan 23 = 471.17 ft

Answer 3

thanks!