Question 399611: An airplane traveling at 240 mph is descending at an angle of depression of 6 degrees. How many miles will the plane descend in 4 minutes?
Answer by stanbon(75887)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! An airplane traveling at 240 mph is descending at an angle of depression of 6 degrees. How many miles will the plane descend in 4 minutes?
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Draw the picture.
The angle of depression from the air = the angle of elevation from the ground
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distance the plane travels in 4 min.
(240 mi/hr) = 4 mi/min = (5280*4 ft)/min = 21,120 ft/(4 min)
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So the plane has gone 21,120 ft on its glide slope.
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You have a right triangle with hypotenuse = 21,120
and descent distance opposite a 6 degree angle.
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sin(6 degrees) = (descent distance/hypotenuse)
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descent distance = sin(6)*21120 = 2208.6 ft.
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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