Question

From the hay loft door, Ted sees his dog on the ground. The angle of depression of the dog is 40º. Ted's eye level is 16 feet above the ground. How many feet must the dog walk to reach the open barn door directly below Ted (to the nearest foot)?

Answer 1

Answer: 19 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

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

Tan α = opposite side / adjacent side  

Where α is the angle of depression of the dog, the opposite side (16) is Ted's eye level above the ground, and the adjacent side (x) is the distance between the dog and the barn door.

Replacing with the values given:  

tan40 = 16/x

Solving for x  

x =16/tan40

x= 19 ft  

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