SOLUTION: A highway makes an angle of 6 with the horizontal. This angle is maintained for a horizontal distance of 5 miles. To the nearest hundredth of a mile, how high does the highway

Algebra ->  Triangles -> SOLUTION: A highway makes an angle of 6 with the horizontal. This angle is maintained for a horizontal distance of 5 miles. To the nearest hundredth of a mile, how high does the highway       Log On


   

Question 1073618: A highway makes an angle of 6 with the horizontal. This angle is maintained for a horizontal distance of 5 miles.
To the nearest hundredth of a mile, how high does the highway rise in this 5-mile section? Show the steps you use to find the distance.
Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A highway makes an angle of 6 degrees with the horizontal. This angle is maintained for a horizontal distance of 5 miles.
To the nearest hundredth of a mile, how high does the highway rise in this 5-mile section? Show the steps you use to find the distance.
------
Draw the figure.
You have a right triangle with base = 5 and base angle = 5 degrees
Find the height opposite the 5 degrees angle.
tan(5 degrees) = height/base
----
0.0875 = height/5
height = 0.0875*5 miles = 0.437 miles
-------------------
Cheers,
Stan H.
------