My Favorite Math Problem Hints
What IS an Angle of Depression?
Definition of Angle of Depression
*Think back to SOH CAH TOA (sin, cos, tan)
*Pythagorean Theorem
*Read through everything carefully before proceeding to the next sentence.
*Draw a picture!
- Angle of depression is the angle between a horizontal line and the line joining the observer's eye to some object beneath the horizontal line.
*Think back to SOH CAH TOA (sin, cos, tan)
*Pythagorean Theorem
*Read through everything carefully before proceeding to the next sentence.
*Draw a picture!
Heres the Problem:
Right Angle Trigonometry Problem
I created a Right Angle Trigonometry math problem called Swimming at Sea. I also created a diagram to help students visualize the problem. There are three parts to the problem. You can find the solution to this problem by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page!
Part A:
Brian is in a lighthouse perched on a cliff. The lighthouse is 85 feet tall, and the cliff is 100 feet above sea level. His job is to observe the swimmers in the water. There is a buoy with an angle of depression of 63°. He can also see a swimmer at sea with an angle of depression of 35°. How far away is the swimmer from the buoy? (Round to the nearest tenth of a foot)
Part B:
There is a waterfall out at sea, and it is determined that after 300 feet from the cliff it is not safe to continue on. At what angle will Brian have to alert the swimmer to turn around? (Round to the nearest degree)
Part C:
If on a given day, the sea level rises 20 feet, does the angle at which Brian must alert the swimmer change? If so, what is the new angle? (Round to the nearest degree)
Solution