Question

A satellite, B, is 17,000 miles from the horizon of Earth. Earth’s radius is about 4,000 miles. Find the approximate distance the satellite is from the Earth’s surface. The diagram is not to scale.

Answer 1

Use Circle Conception

Answer 2

how? lol im lost on all this circle stuff

Answer 3

leg 1: 17000
leg 2: 4000
leg 3: x+4000

which allows us to say


17000^2 + 4000^2 = (x+4000)^2
x = sqrt(17000^2 + 4000^2) - 4000
x=13464.2 miles

Answer 4

thank you!

Answer 5

I did