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Stage 5.1

5.06 Angles of elevation and depression

Worksheet
Angles of elevation and depression
1

A man standing at the top of the tower at point B, is looking at the ground at point C. Identify the angle of depression in the following figure:

2

Find the angle of depression from point B to point C in the diagram shown. Round your answer to two decimal places.

3

Find x, the angle of elevation to point A from point C. Round your answer to two decimal places.

4

The person in the picture sights a pigeon above him. Find the angle of elevation, \theta, to two decimal places.

5

Sally measures the angle of elevation to the top of a tree from a point 20 \text{ m} away to be 43 \degree. Find the height of the tree, h, to the nearest whole number.

6

A boy flying his kite releases the entire length of his string which measures 27\text{ m}, so that the kite is 18\text{ m} above him.

If the angle the string makes with the horizontal ground is \theta, find \theta to two decimal places.

7

A helicopter is 344\text{ m} away from its landing pad. If the angle of depression to the landing pad is 32 \degree, find x, the height of the helicopter above the ground, to the nearest metre.

8

The final approach of an aeroplane when landing requires the pilot to adjust the angle of descent to about 3 \degree as shown in the diagram below. If the plane is 12 \text{ m} above the runway and has d \text{ m} until touchdown, find d to the nearest metre.

9

The airtraffic controller is communicating with a plane in flight approaching an airport for landing. The plane is 10\,369 \text{ m} above the ground and is still 23\,444 \text{ m} from the runway.

If \theta \degree is the angle at which the plane should approach, find \theta to one decimal place.

Applications
10

A man stands at point A looking at the top of two poles. Pole 1 has a height 8 \text{ m} and an angle of elevation of 34 \degree from point A. Pole 2 has a height 25 \text{ m} and an angle of elevation of 57 \degree from point A.

a

Find the distance from A to B, to two decimal places.

b

Find the distance from A to C, to two decimal places.

c

Hence, find BC, the distance between the two poles in metres. Round your answer to one decimal place.

11

A fighter jet, flying at an altitude of 2000 \text{ m} is approaching an airport. The pilot measures the angle of depression to the airport to be 13 \degree. One minute later, the pilot measures the angle of depression again and finds it to be 16 \degree.

a

Find the distance AC, to the nearest metre.

b

Find the distance BC, to the nearest metre.

c

Hence, find the distance covered by the jet in that one minute, to the nearest metre.

12

A ramp of length 311\text{ cm} needs to ascend at an angle between 10 \degree and 20 \degree for it to be safe to use.

a

If the height of the ramp is 152\text{ cm}, and the angle the ramp makes with the ground is x, find x to two decimal places.

b

If the height of the ramp is 25\text{ cm} , and the angle the ramp makes with the ground is y, find y to two decimal places.

c

If the height of the ramp is 100\text{ cm}, and the angle the ramp makes with the ground is z, find z to two decimal places.

d

Hence, at which height is the ramp safe?

13

From a point 15\text{ m} due north of a tower, the angle of elevation of the tower is 32 \degree.

a

Find the height of the tower h. Round your answer to two decimals places.

b

Find the size \theta of the angle of elevation of the tower at a point 20\text{ m} due east of the tower. Round your answer to the nearest degree.

14

Roald is standing at point P and observes two poles, AB and CD, of different heights. P, \, B, and D are on horizontal ground:

From P, the angles of elevation to the top of the poles at A and C are 29 \degree and 18 \degree respectively. Roald is 16 \text{ m} from the base of pole AB. The height of pole CD is 7 \text{ m}.

a

Calculate the distance from Roald to the top of pole CD, to two decimal places.

b

Calculate the distance from Roald to the top of pole AB, to two decimal places.

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Outcomes

MA5.1-10MG

applies trigonometry, given diagrams, to solve problems, including problems involving angles of elevation and depression

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