Question

From the observation deck of a Sky scraper, deondra measures a 67° angle of depression to a ship in the harbor below. If the observation deck is 1086 feet high, what is the horizontal distance from the base of sky scraper out of the ship? Round your answer to the nearest 10th of a foot if necessary.

Answer 1

461.0

Explanation:

(see image)

Alternate angles are equal, therefore, the angle at D in the image is equal to the angle of depression, 67°. Use the trigonometric ratio, tan, to find the length of the horizontal.

tan(67) = 1086/a

a = 1086 / tan(67)

a = 460.97965

a = 461.0