Question

Find the angle of elevation of the sun when a 24 foot tree casts a shadow of 36 feet

Answer 1

37°

Step-by-step explanation

The angle of elevation of the sun is the angle through which one has to raise the head to see the sun.

When a 24 feet tree casts a shadow of 36 feet, we can obtain a right triangle as shown in the diagram to help us calculate the angle of elevation of the sun.

Let x be the angle of elevation of the sun, then

`\tan(x) = (24)/(36)`

`x = \tan ^( - 1) ( (2)/(3) ) = 37.433`

Hence, the angle of elevation of the sun is 37° to the nearest degree.