Applications of Trigonometry (pp. 1 of 3)
Applications of Trigonometry (pp. 1 of 3)
Applications of Trigonometry (pp. 1 of 3)
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Practice Problems<br />
<strong>A<strong>pp</strong>lications</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Trigonometry</strong> (<strong>pp</strong>. 2 <strong>of</strong> 3)<br />
Geometry<br />
HS Mathematics<br />
Unit: 10 Lesson: 02<br />
1. Commercial airliners fly at an altitude <strong>of</strong> about 10 kilometers. They start descending toward<br />
the airport when they are still far away in order to lessen the angle they must drop.<br />
a. If the pilot wants the path to make a 5 o angle with the ground, how far out must the<br />
plane begin to descend?<br />
b. If he starts descending 350 kilometers from the airport, what angle will the plane’s path<br />
make with the ground?<br />
2. A new rope must be ordered for the flagpole in front <strong>of</strong> the school. Before ordering the rope,<br />
the height <strong>of</strong> the pole must be determined. It is observed that the flagpole casts a shadow 10.5<br />
meters long when the sun is at an angle <strong>of</strong> elevation <strong>of</strong> 33 o . How tall is the flagpole?<br />
3. A cat is tra<strong>pp</strong>ed on a tree branch 18.5 feet above the ground. The ladder is only 20 feet long.<br />
If you place the ladder’s tip on the branch, what angle must the ladder make with the ground?<br />
4. San Francisco has very steep streets. Sue decides to determine the angle the street she lives<br />
on makes with the horizontal. On the wall <strong>of</strong> her house she measures horizontal and vertical<br />
distances <strong>of</strong> 33 centimeters and 5 centimeters, respectively. What angle does her street make<br />
with the horizontal?<br />
©2009, TESCCC 08/01/09 page 57 <strong>of</strong> 60
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