SOLUTION: 1)While crossing the Atlantic, sailors spot two mermaids 120° apart on each end of an island that is 6 miles away. How far apart are the mermaids around the outer edge of the islan
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-> SOLUTION: 1)While crossing the Atlantic, sailors spot two mermaids 120° apart on each end of an island that is 6 miles away. How far apart are the mermaids around the outer edge of the islan
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Question 1026869: 1)While crossing the Atlantic, sailors spot two mermaids 120° apart on each end of an island that is 6 miles away. How far apart are the mermaids around the outer edge of the island to the nearest tenth of a mile?
a)12.6 miles
b)3.1 miles
c)7.2 miles
d)20.2 miles
PLEASE HELP! Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! While crossing the Atlantic, sailors spot two mermaids 120° apart on each end of an island that is 6 miles away. How far apart are the mermaids around the outer edge of the island to the nearest tenth of a mile?
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Sketch the figure.
You have an isosceles triangle with altitude = 6 miles
and vertex angle = 120 degrees
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There are 2 60 degree angles at the vertex
There are 2 right triangles.
Find the side opposite one of the 60 degree angles::
tan(60) = base/6
base = 6*tan(60) = 6*sqrt(3)
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Ans: distance = 2(6*sqrt(3)) miles
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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