Medals! A man on a 135-ft vertical cliff looks down at an angle of 16 degrees and sees his friend. How far away is the man from his friend? How far is the friend from the base of the cliff?

Question

Medals!  A man on a 135-ft vertical cliff looks down at an angle of 16 degrees and sees his friend. How far away is the man from his friend? How far is the friend from the base of the cliff?

anonymous · Answer

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anonymous · Answer

you know an angle, the side adjacent to it, and you are solving for the opposite of the angle. What trig identity involves opposite and adjacent? 

WELL TAN does so:$$a=135$$$$\theta=16º$$

o = ?$$\tan (16)=\frac{ o }{ 135 }$$

anonymous · Answer

can u solve for o by yourself now?

anonymous · Answer

thats the distance

anonymous · Answer

Get it because tangent is opposite over adjacent?

anonymous · Answer

tan = opposite side to the angle/adjacent side to the angle

anonymous · Answer

adjacent just means next to. As you can see the 135 side is next to the 16 degree angle

anonymous · Answer

the sidee you are solving for is opposite the angle