SOLUTION: A kite is flying with a thread 500m long. If the thread is assumed stretched straight and makes an angle of 20 degree with the horizontal, find the height of the kite above the gro

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Question 884348: A kite is flying with a thread 500m long. If the thread is assumed stretched straight and makes an angle of 20 degree with the horizontal, find the height of the kite above the ground.
Answer by algebrapro18(249) About Me  (Show Source):
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So if you draw out a picture you know that you get a right triangle with side length(the height from the ground) of x and the hypotenuse(the length of the kite string) of 500. We also know that the angle between the ground and the length of kite string is 20 degrees and that this angle is opposite the side we are trying to find. So we need to find a trig function that equates opposite and hypotenuse because those are the two pieces of information we have. Remembering SOH CAH TOA we see that Sine equates opposite to hypotenuse. So now we set up the following equation and solve for x.

sin%2820%29=x%2F500
500sin%2820%29=x
500%2A+0.34202014=x
171.01007166+=+x

So the kite is flying 171.01007166 meters in the air.