Question

A man stands 10 feet from the base of a cathedral. He leans a 26 foot ladder against a stained glass window. Find the angle of elevation to the nearest degree between the ladder and the ground.

Answer 1

Answer: 67°

Explanation:

Hi, since the situation forms a right triangle (see attachment) we have to apply the next trigonometric function.

Cos α = adjacent side / hypotenuse

Where α is the angle of elevation of the ladder to the ground (x) the hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle (in this case is the length of the ladder), and the adjacent side is the distance between the bottom of the ladder and the base of the cathedral.

Replacing with the values given:

Cos x = 10/26

Solving for x

x = arc cos 10/26

x = 67°

Feel free to ask for more if needed or if you did not understand something.