Question

An observer (O) is located 900 feet from a building (B). The observer notices a helicopter (H) flying at a 49° angle of elevation from his line of sight. How high is the helicopter flying over the building? You must show all work and calculations to receive full credit.

Answer 1

use sine rule

Answer 2

That'd be 49/900, right?

Answer 3

900 tan 49

Answer 4

assuming the helicopter is vertically above the building

Answer 5

not sine rule sorry, just use the tangent definition

Answer 6

Oh! Okay! One sec, let me put that in a calculator

Answer 7

Oh and this is the diagram...I forgot to add it. Sorry, man. ^^'

Answer 8

yea thats right

Answer 9

So, am I using the tan of 49 and multiplying it by 900?

Answer 10

yes^ lol sorry

Answer 11

Alrighty. Now I have to find a website that let's me get the tan of a number seeing as I left my scientific calculator at my dad's house. Bear with me for a moment.

Answer 12

ecalc.com

Answer 13

Oh my gosh! Thank you soooooo much!

Answer 14

np

Answer 15

wait...the tan of 49 is -3.172908552159191 if I multiplied that by 900, I'd get an even larger negative number. Are you sure I'm trying to find the tan of 49?

Answer 16

tan49=1.1503

Answer 17

oh its in radians

Answer 18

press menu - angle - degree then try again

Answer 19

ohhhhhh! Thanks!

Answer 20

I multiplied 1.1503 by 900 and I got 1,035.27. Is that correct?

Answer 21

yea thats about correct!

Answer 22

Okay! Thanks!