Question

Earth has a radius of 6371 kilometers. A pilot is flying at a steady altitude of 5.6 kilometers above the earth's surface.

Answer 1

As the Earth has a radius of 6371 kilometers and pilot is flying at a steady altitude of 5.6 kilometers above the earth's surface. This forms a right angled triangle of perendicular 6371km and hypotenuse of (6371+5.6)km. The pilot's distance to the horizon will be the Base.Hence by pythagoras theorem we have Distance=276.5km rounding of =280km

Answer 2

Answer:

The pilot's distance to the horizon is 267.2 kilometers.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the below diagram,  $A$ is the position of the pilot which is 5.6 kilometers above the earth's surface, $D$.

Earth has a radius of 6371 kilometers. That means, $CB=CD= 6371$ kilometers.

So,  $CA= CD+DA= (6371+5.6)= 6376.6$ kilometers.

The pilot's distance to the horizon is $AB$.

Using Pythagorean theorem, we will get........

$AB^2+CB^2 = CA^2\\ \\ AB^2+(6371)^2=(6376.6)^2\\ \\ AB^2 = (6376.6)^2 -(6371)^2 \\ \\ AB^2= 71386.56\\ \\ AB= \sqrt{71386.56}=267.182... \approx 267.2$

(Rounded to the nearest tenth)

So, the pilot's distance to the horizon is 267.2 kilometers.