A radio tower is 200 feet tall. How far is an observer from the base of the tower if the angle of their line of sight hrom the ground to the top of the tower is \( 65^{\circ} \) ? Round to the nearest hundredth. (t point)
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To find the distance from the observer to the base of the tower, you can use the tangent function in trigonometry. The height of the tower (200 feet) is the opposite side, and the distance from the observer to the base of the tower is the adjacent side. The formula related to tangent is: \[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} \] Plugging in the values: \[ \tan(65^{\circ}) = \frac{200}{d} \] Solving for \(d\): \[ d = \frac{200}{\tan(65^{\circ})} \approx \frac{200}{2.1445} \approx 93.20 \text{ feet} \] So, the observer is approximately 93.20 feet from the base of the tower. Also, it's always good to double-check your calculator settings. Make sure it's in degree mode when you're working with angles expressed in degrees! A common error in problems like this is using radian mode by mistake, leading to incorrect calculations.