Question

An observer at the top of a 462-ft cliff measures the angle of depression from the top of the cliff to a point on the ground to be 5°. What is the distance from the base of the cliff to the point on the ground?

Answer 1

complete question:

An observer at the top of a 462-ft cliff measures the angle of depression from the top of the cliff to a point on the ground to be 5°. What is the distance from the base of the cliff to the point on the ground? Round to the nearest foot

Answer:

a ≈  5281 ft

Explanation:

The observer at the top of a 462 ft cliff  measures the angle of depression from the top of the cliff to a point on the ground to be 5°.

The angle of depression form the top of the cliff = 5°

The 5° is outside the triangle formed . To find the angle in the triangle we have to subtract 5° from 90°.  90° - 5° = 85° Note sum of an angle on a right angle is 90°.  

using SOHCAHTOA  principle we can solve for the distance from the base of the cliff to the point on the ground(a)

tan  85° = opposite / adjacent

tan 85°  = a / 462

cross multiply

462 × tan 85° = a

a = 11.4300523 × 462

a =  5280.66  ft

a ≈  5281 ft