A cellular telephone tower that is 150 feet tall is placed on top of a mountain that is 1200 feet above sea level.What is the angle of depression from the top of the tower to a cell phone user who is 6 horizontal miles away and 400 feet above sea level? Round your answer to two decimal places.
A)3.72º
B)1.72º
C)5.72º
D)4.72º
E)2.72º

Question

A cellular telephone tower that is 150 feet tall is placed on top of a mountain that is 1200 feet above sea level.What is the angle of depression from the top of the tower to a cell phone user who is 6 horizontal miles away and 400 feet above sea level? Round your answer to two decimal places. ​
A)3.72º
B)1.72º
C)5.72º
D)4.72º
E)2.72º

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can solve this using trigonometry. Let the angle of depression be θ. Then, we have:

tan θ = (1200 - 400) / 6 miles

tan θ = 800/6 miles

θ = tan⁻¹(800/6)

θ ≈ 1.72º (rounded to two decimal places)

Therefore, the answer is choice B, 1.72º.

A Cellular Telephone Tower That Is 150 Feet Tall Is