Question

Your towns public library is building a new wheelchair ramp to its entrance. By law the maximum angle of incline for the ramp is 4.76 degrees. The ramp will have a vertical rise of 2 ft. What is the shortest horizontal distance that the ramp can span?

Answer 1

For this case we can model the problem as a rectangle triangle.
 We have the angle between the base and the hypotenuse of the triangle.
 We have the height of the triangle.
 We want to calculate the base of the triangle.
 For this, we use the following trigonometric relationship:
 $tan (4.76) = 2 / x$
 Clearing x we have:
 $x = 2 / tan (4.76) x = 24.02 feet$
 Answer:
 the shortest horizontal distance that the ramp can span is:
 x = 24.02 feet

Answer 2

Answer:

x=24.02 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

we will solve this case as a rectangle

we are given

angle between the base and the hypotenuse of the triangle =4.76 degree

 height of the triangle.=h=2feet

and

 We have to calculate the base of the triangle=b=?

 to find base from given information

we will use the following trigonometric relationship:

tan(4.76)=$\frac{2}{x}$

now find x

x=$\frac{2}{tan(4.76)}$

x=24.02 feet

hence

the shortest horizontal distance that the ramp can span is:

x = 24.02 feet