Question

now it’s time to practice on your own
a plane is flying 3900 m above the level ground. the angle of elevation from the control tower to the plane is 11.4°.
what is the horizontal distance from the plane to the control tower?
round your answer to the nearest meter.
enter your answer in the box.
□ m

Explanation:

Step1: Identify trigonometric ratio

We use the tangent function, where $\tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}}$. Here, $\theta = 11.4^\circ$, opposite side = $3900$ m, adjacent side = horizontal distance $x$.

Step2: Rearrange to solve for $x$

$x = \frac{3900}{\tan(11.4^\circ)}$

Step3: Calculate the value

First find $\tan(11.4^\circ) \approx 0.2013$, then $x \approx \frac{3900}{0.2013}$

Answer:

19374 m