SOLUTION: An airplane is flying at an elevation of 6050 feet, directly above a straight highway. Two motorists are driving cars on the highway on opposite sides of the plane, and the angle o

Question 716681: An airplane is flying at an elevation of 6050 feet, directly above a straight highway. Two motorists are driving cars on the highway on opposite sides of the plane, and the angle of the depression to one car is 32 degree and to the other is 50 degree. How far apart are the two cars?
Answer by lwsshak3(11628) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
An airplane is flying at an elevation of 6050 feet, directly above a straight highway. Two motorists are driving cars on the highway on opposite sides of the plane, and the angle of the depression to one car is 32 degree and to the other is 50 degree. How far apart are the two cars.
**
Draw 2 right triangles that share a common vertical leg of 6050 ft.
From the top draw to the left a hypotenuse with a 32� angle of depression, and to the right a hypotenuse with a 50� angle of depression. You now have two right triangles with one of its angles at 32�or 50�. The sum of the horizontal legs of each triangle=distance the cars are apart.
6050/tan32�+6050/tan50�=14,759 ft
distance the cars are apart=14,759 ft
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