Question

The pole casts a 12-foot shadow when the sun is at a 40° angle of elevation. Which equation could Kim use to find x, the length of the pole?

Answer 1

Answer    

Find out the length of the pole .

To proof

As given

The pole casts a 12-foot shadow when the sun is at a 40° angle of elevation.

x represented the length of pole .

As shown in the diagram

By using the trignometric identity

$tan \theta = \frac{Perpendicular}{Base}$

$tan 40^{\circ} = \frac{x}{12}$

tan40° = 0.839099631 ( approx )

Put in the above

x = 12 × 0.839099631

x = 10.1 foot (approx)

Therefore the  length of the pole in  10.1 foot (approx) .