Clearing a Vertical Wall: Solving for Height with Right Angle Trig

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on solving a right triangle problem involving an airplane ascending at a 10-degree angle to determine how high it will clear a vertical wall that is 100 feet high and located 900 feet from the starting point. The solution utilizes the tangent function from trigonometry, leading to the conclusion that the airplane will clear the wall by 58.69 feet. The equation used is tan(10°) = (100' + h) / 900', where h represents the height above the wall.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of right angle trigonometry
  • Familiarity with the tangent function
  • Basic knowledge of angles in degrees
  • Ability to solve linear equations
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  • Study the properties of right triangles in trigonometry
  • Learn about the applications of the tangent function in real-world scenarios
  • Explore advanced trigonometric functions such as sine and cosine
  • Investigate practical problems involving angles of elevation and depression
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Students in mathematics, engineers, pilots, and anyone interested in applying trigonometric principles to solve real-world problems involving angles and heights.

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An airplane starts from a station and rises at an angle of 10 deg with the horizontal. By how many feet will it clear a vertical wall 100 ft. High and 900 ft from the station?

I don't get it. Can you provide an image that represent the situation in the problem. Thanks.
 
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paulmdrdo said:
An airplane starts from a station and rises at an angle of 10 deg with the horizontal. By how many feet will it clear a vertical wall 100 ft. High and 900 ft from the station?

I don't get it. Can you provide an image that represent the situation in the problem. Thanks.

ok ... View attachment 3417
 
Thanks!

My solution

$\tan10^{\circ}=\frac{100'+h}{900'}$h = 58.69 ft.
 

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