High School

We appreciate your visit to Use trigonometric ratios to solve the following problem Shaina who is 5 feet 6 inches tall is standing 20 feet from the base of a. This page offers clear insights and highlights the essential aspects of the topic. Our goal is to provide a helpful and engaging learning experience. Explore the content and find the answers you need!

Use trigonometric ratios to solve the following problem.

Shaina, who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, is standing 20 feet from the base of a tree when she sees a pileated woodpecker at the top of the tree. The bird is at an angle of elevation of 68 degrees above Shaina's line of sight.

What is the height of the tree?

A. 680 inches
B. 55 feet
C. 66 feet
D. 240 inches

Answer :

Sure, let's solve the problem step-by-step using trigonometric ratios.

1. Convert Shaina's height to feet:
- Shaina's height is 5 feet and 6 inches.
- We first convert her height to feet. Since there are 12 inches in a foot:
[tex]\[
5 \text{ feet} + \frac{6 \text{ inches}}{12} = 5.5 \text{ feet}
\][/tex]

2. Understand the given information:
- Angle of elevation to the top of the tree: [tex]\(68^\circ\)[/tex]
- Distance from Shaina to the base of the tree: 20 feet
- Shaina's height: 5.5 feet

3. Set up the trigonometric ratio:
- We will use the tangent function. Tangent of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side.
[tex]\[
\tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}}
\][/tex]
- Here, the "opposite" side is the height from Shaina's eyes to the top of the tree, and the "adjacent" side is the distance from Shaina to the base of the tree.

4. Calculate the height from Shaina's eyes to the top of the tree:
- Let [tex]\( h \)[/tex] be the height from Shaina's eyes to the top of the tree.
[tex]\[
\tan(68^\circ) = \frac{h}{20 \text{ feet}}
\][/tex]
- Solving for [tex]\( h \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
h = 20 \times \tan(68^\circ)
\][/tex]

5. Calculate the total height of the tree:
- We need to add Shaina's height to the height from her eyes to the top of the tree to get the total height of the tree:
[tex]\[
\text{Total height of the tree} = h + 5.5 \text{ feet}
\][/tex]

Using the given result:
[tex]\[ \tan(68^\circ) \approx 2.4751 \][/tex]
So:
[tex]\[ h = 20 \times 2.4751 \approx 49.5 \text{ feet} \][/tex]

Adding Shaina's height:
[tex]\[ \text{Total height of the tree} = 49.5 + 5.5 = 55 \text{ feet} \][/tex]

Therefore, the height of the tree is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{55 \text{ feet}}
\][/tex]

Thanks for taking the time to read Use trigonometric ratios to solve the following problem Shaina who is 5 feet 6 inches tall is standing 20 feet from the base of a. We hope the insights shared have been valuable and enhanced your understanding of the topic. Don�t hesitate to browse our website for more informative and engaging content!

Rewritten by : Barada