document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1064268>Question 1064268</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A television station uses a helicopter and takes aerial photos of the traffic along a busy road busy in Magsaysay Avenue. During one particular day, the angle of depression of the helicopter to the left end of the traffic jam is 44.5 degrees with a slant distance of 1500 m. The angle of depression to the right end of the jam is found to be 56.8 degrees. What is the length of the traffic jam on that on that particular morning? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #679520 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=679520\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> let A be the left end of the traffic jam.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "let C be the right end of the traffic jam.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "let B be the position of the helicopter.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a triangle is formed with left vertex at A and top vertex at B and right vertex at C.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the angle at A is 44.5 degrees.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the angle at C is 56.8 degrees.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the angle at B has to be 78.7 degrees because the sum of the interior angles of a triangle are always 180 degrees.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side a is opposite angle A.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "side b is opposite angle B.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "side c is opposite angle C.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side c is the distance from the helicopter to the left side of the traffic jam.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side a is the distance from the helicopter to the right side of the traffic jam.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side b is the length of the traffic jam from point A to point C.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side b is just another name for side AC of triangle ABC.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "side c is equal to 1500 meters.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you can use the law of sines to find the length of side b.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the law of sines says that c/sin(C) = b/sin(B)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since c = 1500 meters and C = 56.8 degrees and B = 78.7 degrees, the formula becomes:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1500 / sin(56.8) = b / sin(78.7)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solve for b to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "b = 1500 * sin(78.7) / sin(56.8) = 1757.868929 meters.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "that's the length of the traffic jam.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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