Lesson note.
WEEK: SEVEN
DATE: 20TH – 25TH FEBRUARY 2023
CLASS: S.S 2
TOPIC: RIGHT ANGLE TRIANGLE(A
The sight of a building top from the horizontal position, the distance between
the vertical line and the horizontal line is described as an angle of elevation.
Angle of elevation=θ
Angle of Depression
An observer on top of a building looking at a car on the ground must turn the
eyes from the horizontal position through an angle to look down. The angle
turned between the two lines of view is called an angle of depression. Angles
of elevations and depression are alternate angles.
Examples:
1. The angle of elevation of the top of a point on the ground 60m away from
the foot of the tree is 78o. Find the height of the tree.
SOLUTION: T
780
E 60m F
│TF│is the height of the tree.
. o
. . tan 78 =
Hence, h =60m X tan 78o
=60 X 4.705
=282.3m
282m to 3s.f
2. Two canoes A and B are on the same side of a tower(T). If the angles of
elevation of the top of the tower as observed by A and B are 35o and 50o ,
respectively, and line │AB│is 5m, find the height of the tower.
SOLUTION
500 350
F x B 5m A
In TFB
│FB│=x,│TF│=h
tan 50o=h/x
h=x tan 50o -------(i)
In TFA, │FA│=x+5
│TF│=h
. o
. . tan 35 =h/x+5
h =(x+5) tan 35o --------(ii)
Equation (i)= Equation(ii)
Hence, x tan 50o= (x+5) tan 35o
x X 1.192= (x+5) 0.7002
x X1.192= 0.7002x +3.5010
1.192x-0.7002x=3.501
0.4918x= 3.501
x=3.501/0.4918=7.119
h=x tan 50o
=7.119 (1.192)
=7.119 X 1.192
=8.4855m
=8.5m
3. Angles of depression of two canoes are 57o and 70o from the top of a vertical
cliff, the foot of which is on the same straight line as the two canoes (A and B).
If the cliff is 15m high, calculate the distance between the 2 canoes.
SOLUTION
15m
57o 70o
B y A x F
In CFA,│AF│= x and │CF│=15m
tan 70o =15/x
15= x tan 70o
x= 15/tan 70o= 15/2.747= 5.4605 --------(i)
In CFB,
│BF│=x+y,│CF│=15m
tan 57o= 15/x+y
x+y=15/tan 57o=15/1.540=9.7403
From equation (i),x=5.4605
.
. . y=9.7403 – 5.4605=4.2798
4.3m
4. A girl views the angle of elevation of the top of a tower to be αo. She is 40m
from the foot of the tower and at the same level. If the height of the tower is
23.09m, find α.
SOLUTION
23.09
40m
tanα=23.09/40 =0.57725
α=tan-1 (0.57725)
α= 29.996o
α=30o
5. The angle of elevation of the top of a flagpole from a point on the
ground,50m away from the foot of the flagpole is 58o. Find the height of the
flagpole.
SOLUTION
580
50m
Tan 58o=a/50
1.60=a/50
a=1.60 X50
a=80o
6. From the top of a building, 30.15m high, the angle of depression of a point
on the ground level 25.88m from the base is β0. Find β.
SOLUTION:
30.15m
A 25.88m B
tan β= 30.15/25.88 =1.1650
β= tan-1 1.1650
β= 49.40