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 17°44'. When the boat stops, the angle of depression is 48°13' . The lighthouse is 200 feet tall. How far did the boat travel from when it was first noticed until it stopped? Round your answer to the hundredths place.

Question

anonymous · Answer

so, you know about the properties of angles and such?

anonymous · Answer

@jarobins  yes

anonymous · Answer

alright then. You have given that the boat is first seen at an angle of about 17 degrees. Coupled with the height of the lighthouse do you know the formula for finding the rest of the lengths of the triangle?

anonymous · Answer

@jarobins no

anonymous · Answer

You will need to use Angle-side-Angle methods for finding the missing info. This has alot to do with the properties of trigonometric functions. Know about those?

anonymous · Answer

@jarobins no