GRADE 11

SUBJECT: MATHEMATICS
WEEK 8: LESSON 1
TOPIC: TRIGONOMTRY
SUB-TOPIC: ANGLES OF ELEVETION AND DEPRESSION
OBJECTIVE: use trigonometric ratios and rules to solve problems
Content:

ANGLE OF ELEVATION
Example: A man who is 2 m tall stands on horizontal ground 30 m from a tree. The
angle of elevation of the top of the tree from his eyes is 28˚. Estimate the height
of the tree.

Solution: Let the height of the tree be h. Sketch a diagram to represent the
situation.

35
tan 28˚ =

h – 2 = 30 tan 28˚
h = (30 ´ 0.5317) + 2 ← tan 28˚ = 0.5317
= 17.951 The height of the tree is approximately 17.95 m.

Example A man is 1.8 m tall. He stands 50 m away from the base of a building. His
angle of elevation to the top of the building is 70°.

Calculate an estimate of the height of the building. Give your answer to an appropriate
degree of accuracy.

Label the sides of the triangle o, a and h.

Next choose the correct ratio from sho cha tao.

In the triangle the length a is known and the length o must be calculated.

Use tan x=oa

tan 70=z50

Make z the subject by multiplying both sides by 50.

z=50×tan 70

z=137.4 m

Assume the man’s eye-level is (approximately) 1.7 m above the ground.

The building is roughly 1.7+137.4=139.1 m tall.

ANGLE OF DEPRESSION
Question
From the top of a 72 m high vertical cliff, a boat has an angle of depression
of 32°. How far is the boat from the base of the cliff? Give your answer to
an appropriate degree of accuracy. State any assumptions you have made
in your calculation.

36
In the triangle the length o is known and the length a must be calculated.

Use tan x=oa

tan 32=72y

Rearrange the equation to make y the subject.

Multiply both sides by y.

y×tan 32=72

Divide both sides by tan 32.

y=72 tan 32

y=115.2 m

The boat is 115.2 m from the base of the cliff.

115.2 m is far too precise (being to the nearest 10 cm). 110 m or 120 m are appropriate
answers. (Note these are about the same degree of accuracy as the 72 m and 32° used
in the question.)

There are various assumptions that you may have made.

For example:

Is the distance to be found to the middle of the boat or to the end of the boat which is
nearest the cliff?

Was the angle of depression measured to deck level or sea level? (This affects whether
72 m or something a little less is used in the calculation).

Reference:https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z98jtv4/revision/4

37