Question

A mini toy helicopter ascends 50 feet vertically, then flies horizontally 200 feet. Find the angle of elevation to the helicopter now as seen by an observer at the takeoff point. Round to the nearest degree

Answer 1

We can use trigonometry to find the angle of elevation to the helicopter. Let's call this angle "theta".

We know that the helicopter ascends 50 feet vertically, and then flies horizontally 200 feet. This means that we have a right triangle with a height of 50 and a base of 200. The angle of elevation to the helicopter is the angle opposite the height (50), which is the angle "theta".

We can use the tangent function to find theta:

tan(theta) = opposite/adjacent = 50/200 = 0.25

Using a calculator, we can find the arctangent (or inverse tangent) of 0.25:

theta = arctan(0.25) = 14.04º

Therefore, the angle of elevation to the helicopter as seen by an observer at the takeoff point is approximately 14 degrees

Answer 2

There is a right triangle with you in the lower left vertice, and the right angle between the sides 50 (vertical segment) and 200 (horizontal segment)

Then, tan (angle of elevation) = vertical / horizontal = 50/200 = 0.25

=> angle = arc tan(0.25) = 14 degress.

Answer: 14 degrees