A vertical pole 29 feet tall stands on a hillside that makes an angle of 20° with the horizontal.Determine the approximate length of cable that would be needed to reach from the top of the pole to a point 65 feet downhill from the base of the pole.Round your answer to two decimal places.
A)70.59 feet
B)61.45 feet
C)84.70 feet
D)75.29 feet
E)79.72 feet

Question

A vertical pole 29 feet tall stands on a hillside that makes an angle of 20° with the horizontal.Determine the approximate length of cable that would be needed to reach from the top of the pole to a point 65 feet downhill from the base of the pole.Round your answer to two decimal places. ​
A)70.59 feet
B)61.45 feet
C)84.70 feet
D)75.29 feet
E)79.72 feet

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the law of cosines in the triangle formed by the pole, the hillside, and the cable, the cable length can be calculated as: c = √(29² + 65² - 2*29*65*cos(20°)) ≈ 79.72 feet.

A Vertical Pole 29 Feet Tall Stands on a Hillside