SOLUTION: This is an easy trigonometry question, but I have trouble to understand it. Can someone please explain the question with diagrams? Because I think I can understand it better if I h

Algebra ->  Trigonometry-basics -> SOLUTION: This is an easy trigonometry question, but I have trouble to understand it. Can someone please explain the question with diagrams? Because I think I can understand it better if I h      Log On


   



Question 1184124: This is an easy trigonometry question, but I have trouble to understand it. Can someone please explain the question with diagrams? Because I think I can understand it better if I have a diagram in my mind.
Question:
On a slope, a railway rises 35cm for every 50m of track. Find the angle at which the track is inclined to the horizontal, correct to 2 decimal places. The answer in the textbook says 0.40 degrees.

Answer by ikleyn(52824) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Make a sketch.


In the sketch, 35 cm = 0.35 m  is the rise (vertical leg of the right angled triangle).

50 m is the hypotenuse.


Hence, the sine of the angle   " a "  under the problem's question is  


    sin(a)  = 0.35%2F50 = 0.007.


Hence,  the angle "a"  is  


    a = arcsin(0.007) = use calculator = 0.007 radians = 360%2A%280.007%2F2pi%29 = 

      = 360%2A%280.007%2F%282%2A3.14%29%29 = use your calculator, again = 0.4 degrees.

Solved and thoroughly explained.