document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=540339>Question 540339</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Pythagorean Theorem fun..You are in the crow's nest of a ship that is 40ft. above the water. Determine the farthest distance from which you could spot the top of a 50 ft tree on a sea level island.  Earth's radius is 3963 ft.  A mile is 5280 ft.  I've drawn the mast with the crows nest and labeled it 40 ft.  Ive drawn a tree and labeled it 50 ft.  I don't see where I'm supposed to get the triangle to figure the Pythagorean Theorem.  I know the Earth is curved, but how do I figure that in to this problem?  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #353676 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=scott8148><B>scott8148(6628)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=scott8148><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=scott8148><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=353676\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> fun, huh...\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the line of sight from the crow's nest (what about your height? 6 feet?) to the top of the tree is tangent to the Earth's surface<BR>\n" );
document.write( "___ at the point of tangency, the line is perpendicular to (right angle) the Earth's radius\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "so you have TWO right triangles, where the sum of the two missing sides is the distance you want to find\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the common side of the triangles is the Earth's radius (3963 * 5280)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "one hypotenuse is the crow's nest [(3963 * 5280) + 40] ... your height?\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the other hypotenuse is the tree top [(3963 * 5280) + 50]\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "use Pythagoras to find the missing sides (hope you have a lot of digits on your calculator)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "___ Windows has a good built-in scientific calculator </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );