SOLUTION: During a windstorm, part of the top of a flagpole breaks off. The broken top portion touches the ground at an angle of 75° 12 feet from its base.
How tall was the pole before th
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-> SOLUTION: During a windstorm, part of the top of a flagpole breaks off. The broken top portion touches the ground at an angle of 75° 12 feet from its base.
How tall was the pole before th
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Question 947398: During a windstorm, part of the top of a flagpole breaks off. The broken top portion touches the ground at an angle of 75° 12 feet from its base.
How tall was the pole before the windstorm?
Round your answer to one decimal place and show steps.
You can put this solution on YOUR website! During a windstorm, part of the top of a flagpole breaks off.
The broken top portion touches the ground at an angle of 75° 12 feet from its base.
How tall was the pole before the windstorm?
:
The broken flag pole forms a right triangle with the ground |\
:
The vertical portion remaining (v) is the side opposite the 75 degree angle
The broken (b) portion reaching the ground would be the hypotenuse
The side adjacent is the ground which is 12"
:
Find the vertical portion (v) using the tangent of 75 degrees
tan(75) =
v = 3.732 * 12
v = 44.78 ft
Find the hypotenuse (b) using the cosine of 75 degrees
cos(75) =
b =
b = 46.36 ft
:
The original height of the flag pole will be the sum of v and b
44.78 + 46.36 = 91.1 ft tall
