The angle of depression of a diver from the boat is 26 degrees and the diver is 248 ft. deep. To the nearest foot, how far is the diver from the ship?

Question

asked Oct 17, 2021 146k views

2 Answers

Misha Rudrastyh · Answer 1 · 2021-10-18T15:50:52+0000

Answer:

508 ft

Explanation:

See attachment.

We need to use trigonometry to solve this, specifically, tangent, which is opposite divided by adjacent.

Here, our angle is 26 degrees, and our opposite side is 248 feet. Let's denote the adjacent side as x. Now, write the equation:

tan(26) = 248 / x

Multiply both sides by x and divide both sides by sin/tan(26):

x = 248 ÷ tan(26) ≈ 508.47 ≈ 508 ft