a person is watching a boat from the top of a lighthouse. The boat is approaching the lighthouse directly. When first noticed the angle of depression to the boat is 19.45. when the boat stops, the angle of depression is 50.95. the light house is 200 ft tall. How far did the boat travel from when it was first noticed until it stopped?

Question

a person is watching a boat from the top of a lighthouse. The boat is approaching the lighthouse directly. When first noticed the angle of depression to the boat is 19.45. when the boat stops, the angle of depression is 50.95.  the light house is 200 ft tall. How far did the boat travel from when it was first noticed until it stopped?

hero · Answer

Probably the most hated related rates problem

anonymous · Answer

Isn't it just a case of 200tan(x)? Or am I missing something?

hero · Answer

http://online.math.uh.edu/Math1431/c2/s6/index.html

curry · Answer

oh ur missing something

hero · Answer

Go there, to get ideas on how to solve it

anonymous · Answer

It doesn't have any rates or anything. It's just asking for distance...

curry · Answer

dude hero i already looked at how to solve it and i did, i just want to know if it is right

hero · Answer

lol

curry · Answer

well then tell me what you get

anonymous · Answer

|200tan(x_1)-200tan(x_2)| should give dr

curry · Answer

and tell me what u get

curry · Answer

im sure u missed something

hero · Answer

Curry, you should probably try to find James J. He's the master

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1329287201110:dw|
d can be found by taking xtan(angle). No I'm not missing anything. >.>

anonymous · Answer

Proof: tany=d/x-->xtany=d

anonymous · Answer

change in d as angle y changes is |xtan(y_1)-xtan(y_2)|

curry · Answer

|dw:1329287300450:dw| is think that is what it looks like