SOLUTION: Jeremey sits on his back deck watching a plane prepare for landing. He is sitting 22 ft above the ground and he is 87 ft away from the big pine tree that defines his backyard. He n

Question 324379: Jeremey sits on his back deck watching a plane prepare for landing. He is sitting 22 ft above the ground and he is 87 ft away from the big pine tree that defines his backyard. He notes that as the plane is directly over his pine tree he is looking at the plane with an angle that is about 60 degrees above horizontal. Given this info, find the height of the plane as it passes over Jeremy's pine.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Jeremey sits on his back deck watching a plane prepare for landing.
He is sitting 22 ft above the ground and he is 87 ft away from the big pine tree that defines his backyard.
He notes that as the plane is directly over his pine tree he is looking at the
plane with an angle that is about 60 degrees above horizontal.
Given this info, find the height of the plane as it passes over Jeremy's pine.
:
A right triangle is formed by the observer, the tree, and the plane
Use the tangent of 60 degrees
Side opposite height (h) of the plane, (above the observer)
Side adjacent = 87 ft (dist to the tree)
:
Tan(60) =
h = 87*tan(60)
h = 150.688 ft above the observer as it passes the tree
:
Observer is 22 ft above the ground, therefore:
150.688 + 22 = 172.688 ft plane is above the ground
RELATED QUESTIONS
A jet plane is observed 400ft above the ground and is flying 180 mph to the west. A man... (answered by ikleyn)

A bird sits 14 ft above ground while a cat sits on a cement ledge 1 ft above ground... (answered by KMST)

For 1989 and 1990 Dave Johnson had the highest decathalon score in the world. When... (answered by scott8148)

A woodcutter determines the height of a tall tree by first measuring a smaller one 125 ft (answered by scott8148)

A CLIMBER ASCENDS 500 FT ON THE 1ST HOUR. AND 10 FT LESS IN EACH SUCCEEDING HOURS WHEN... (answered by josmiceli)

A traveler is walking on a moving walkway in an airport. The traveler must walk back on... (answered by josmiceli)

A traveler is walking on a moving walkway in an airport. The traveler must walk back on... (answered by richwmiller)

Jim is a paratrooper who has to land on a moving aircraft carrier. If his plane is flying (answered by josmiceli)

Tom, Dick, and Harry weigh 50, 85, 120 lbs. respectively and use a 12ft plank for a... (answered by checkley71)