SOLUTION: A plane is flying at an altitude of 1.5 km. The pilot wants to descend into an airport so that the path of the plane makes an angle of 5 degrees with the ground. How far from the

Question 121303: A plane is flying at an altitude of 1.5 km. The pilot wants to descend
into an airport so that the path of the plane makes an angle of 5 degrees with the ground. How far from the airport (horizontal distance) shoul the descent begin?
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A plane is flying at an altitude of 1.5 km. The pilot wants to descend
into an airport so that the path of the plane makes an angle of 5 degrees with the ground. How far from the airport (horizontal distance) should the descent begin?
---------------
Draw the picture; a right triangle with height = 1.5 km and a 5 degree
angle opposite the height leg.
--------------
Solve for the other leg; call it "x"
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EQUATION:
x = 1.5/tan(5 degrees) = 17.1451 km
=================
Chers,
Stan H.
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