Question
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A boat is heading towards a lighthouse, where Madeline is watching from a vertical distance of 140 feet above the water. Madeline measures an angle of depression to the boat at point \( A \) to be \( 5^{\circ} \). At some later time, Madeline takes another measurement and finds the angle of depression to the boat (now at point \( B \) ) to be \( 50^{\circ} \). Find the distance from point \( A \) to point \( B \). Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a foot if necessary.

Ask by Cross Lawson. in the United States
Jan 27,2025

Real Tutor Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The boat travels approximately 1,482.5 feet from point A to point B.

Solution

To determine the distance the boat travels from point \( A \) to point \( B \), we'll analyze the situation using trigonometry. **Given:** - Height of Madeline above water, \( H = 140 \) feet. - Angle of depression to point \( A \), \( \theta_A = 5^\circ \). - Angle of depression to point \( B \), \( \theta_B = 50^\circ \). **Approach:** 1. **Understand the Angles of Depression:** - The angle of depression from Madeline to the boat is the same as the angle of elevation from the boat to Madeline due to alternate interior angles (assuming a horizontal line from Madeline). 2. **Set Up Right Triangles:** - For point \( A \): \[ \tan(\theta_A) = \frac{H}{x_A} \implies x_A = \frac{H}{\tan(\theta_A)} = \frac{140}{\tan(5^\circ)} \] - For point \( B \): \[ \tan(\theta_B) = \frac{H}{x_B} \implies x_B = \frac{H}{\tan(50^\circ)} = \frac{140}{\tan(50^\circ)} \] - The distance traveled by the boat, \( AB \), is the difference between these horizontal distances: \[ AB = x_A - x_B \] 3. **Calculate the Distances:** - Calculate \( \tan(5^\circ) \) and \( \tan(50^\circ) \) using a calculator: \[ \tan(5^\circ) \approx 0.0874887 \quad \text{and} \quad \tan(50^\circ) \approx 1.1917536 \] - Compute \( x_A \) and \( x_B \): \[ x_A \approx \frac{140}{0.0874887} \approx 1600.2 \text{ feet} \] \[ x_B \approx \frac{140}{1.1917536} \approx 117.7 \text{ feet} \] - Calculate \( AB \): \[ AB \approx 1600.2 \text{ feet} - 117.7 \text{ feet} = 1482.5 \text{ feet} \] **Final Answer:** The boat travels approximately **1,482.5 feet** from point \( A \) to point \( B \). **Answer:** After rounding, the distance from A to B is 1 482.5 feet.

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Mind Expander

To solve the problem, we will begin by using the given angles and the height of Madeline's observation point to find the horizontal distances from the boat to the lighthouse at points A and B. 1. **Calculate the horizontal distance at point A:** Madeline's height is \( h = 140 \) feet and the angle of depression to the boat at point A is \( 5^\circ \). Using the tangent function: \[ \tan(5^\circ) = \frac{h}{d_A} \] Rearranging gives: \[ d_A = \frac{h}{\tan(5^\circ)} = \frac{140}{\tan(5^\circ)} \approx \frac{140}{0.0875} \approx 1600 \text{ feet} \] 2. **Calculate the horizontal distance at point B:** For point B, the angle of depression is \( 50^\circ \): \[ \tan(50^\circ) = \frac{h}{d_B} \] Rearranging gives: \[ d_B = \frac{h}{\tan(50^\circ)} = \frac{140}{\tan(50^\circ)} \approx \frac{140}{1.1918} \approx 117.5 \text{ feet} \] 3. **Find the distance from A to B:** The distance from point A to point B is simply the difference in horizontal distances: \[ \text{Distance from A to B} = d_A - d_B \approx 1600 - 117.5 \approx 1482.5 \text{ feet} \] Now, rounding this to the nearest tenth of a foot gives us the final answer: \[ \text{Distance from A to B} \approx 1482.5 \text{ feet} \]

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