Question
upstudy study bank question image url

The angle of elevation to the top of a building changes from \( 23^{\circ} \) to \( 46^{\circ} \) as an observer advances 155 feet toward the building. Find the height of the building, \( x \), to the nearest foot. The height of the building is approximately \( \square \) feet. (Do not round until the final answer. Then round to the nearest whole number as needed.)

Ask by Rojas Franklin. in the United States
Mar 11,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The height of the building is approximately 111 feet.

Solution

Let \( d \) be the distance from the building when the angle of elevation is \( 23^{\circ} \). Then the building’s height \( x \) can be written as \[ x = d \tan(23^{\circ}). \] After advancing \( 155 \) feet toward the building, the new distance is \( d - 155 \) and the angle of elevation is now \( 46^{\circ} \), so \[ x = (d - 155) \tan(46^{\circ}). \] Since both expressions represent the height \( x \), we can equate them: \[ d \tan(23^{\circ}) = (d - 155) \tan(46^{\circ}). \] Solve for \( d \): 1. Distribute on the right side: \[ d \tan(23^{\circ}) = d \tan(46^{\circ}) - 155 \tan(46^{\circ}). \] 2. Rearrange terms to isolate \( d \): \[ d \tan(46^{\circ}) - d \tan(23^{\circ}) = 155 \tan(46^{\circ}), \] \[ d \Bigl(\tan(46^{\circ}) - \tan(23^{\circ})\Bigr) = 155 \tan(46^{\circ}). \] 3. Solve for \( d \): \[ d = \frac{155 \tan(46^{\circ})}{\tan(46^{\circ}) - \tan(23^{\circ})}. \] Now, substitute \( d \) back into the expression for \( x \): \[ x = d \tan(23^{\circ}) = \frac{155 \tan(46^{\circ}) \tan(23^{\circ})}{\tan(46^{\circ}) - \tan(23^{\circ})}. \] Using approximate values: \[ \tan(23^{\circ}) \approx 0.4245,\quad \tan(46^{\circ}) \approx 1.0355, \] we have \[ x \approx \frac{155 \times 1.0355 \times 0.4245}{1.0355 - 0.4245}. \] Compute the numerator: \[ 155 \times 1.0355 \times 0.4245 \approx 68.17, \] and the denominator: \[ 1.0355 - 0.4245 \approx 0.6110. \] Thus, \[ x \approx \frac{68.17}{0.6110} \approx 111.47. \] Rounding to the nearest whole number, the height of the building is approximately \[ 111 \text{ feet}. \]

Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor

error msg
Explain
Simplify this solution

Beyond the Answer

To find the height of the building, we can use trigonometric functions. Let's denote the height of the building as \( x \) and the distance from the observer to the base of the building before moving closer as \( d \). Using the tangent function for both angles: 1. For the angle of elevation \( 23^{\circ} \): \[ \tan(23^{\circ}) = \frac{x}{d} \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = d \cdot \tan(23^{\circ}) \] 2. For the angle of elevation \( 46^{\circ} \): \[ \tan(46^{\circ}) = \frac{x}{d - 155} \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = (d - 155) \cdot \tan(46^{\circ}) \] Now, we set the two expressions for \( x \) equal to each other: \[ d \cdot \tan(23^{\circ}) = (d - 155) \cdot \tan(46^{\circ}) \] Next, we can solve for \( d \): \[ d \cdot \tan(23^{\circ}) = d \cdot \tan(46^{\circ}) - 155 \cdot \tan(46^{\circ}) \] \[ d (\tan(46^{\circ}) - \tan(23^{\circ})) = 155 \cdot \tan(46^{\circ}) \] \[ d = \frac{155 \cdot \tan(46^{\circ})}{\tan(46^{\circ}) - \tan(23^{\circ})} \] Now we can substitute \( d \) back into one of the equations to get \( x \). Calculating \( \tan(23^{\circ}) \) and \( \tan(46^{\circ}) \): \[ \tan(23^{\circ}) \approx 0.4245, \quad \tan(46^{\circ}) \approx 1.0355 \] Substituting the values: \[ d = \frac{155 \cdot 1.0355}{1.0355 - 0.4245} = \frac{160.4975}{0.611} \approx 262.03 \text{ feet} \] Using \( d \) to find \( x \): \[ x = 262.03 \cdot \tan(23^{\circ}) \approx 262.03 \cdot 0.4245 \approx 111.44 \text{ feet} \] Thus, the height of the building is approximately \( 111 \) feet when rounded to the nearest whole number.

Latest Trigonometry Questions

Try Premium now!
Try Premium and ask Thoth AI unlimited math questions now!
Maybe later Go Premium
Study can be a real struggle
Why not UpStudy it?
Select your plan below
Premium

You can enjoy

Start now
  • Step-by-step explanations
  • 24/7 expert live tutors
  • Unlimited number of questions
  • No interruptions
  • Full access to Answer and Solution
  • Full Access to PDF Chat, UpStudy Chat, Browsing Chat
Basic

Totally free but limited

  • Limited Solution
Welcome to UpStudy!
Please sign in to continue the Thoth AI Chat journey
Continue with Email
Or continue with
By clicking “Sign in”, you agree to our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy