Applications in 2D
Learning Intentions
- I can apply trigonometry in word problems involving an angle of elevation.
- I can apply trigonometry to problem solve in word problems involving an angle of depression.
Terminology
- Direct distance refers to the hypotenuse of the triangle.
- The ground is usually the adjacent side of the triangle.
- Any verticle height is usually the opposite side of the triangle.
Example
Ex 6C, Q2
The height of a building is 46 m. The angle of elevation from the street corner to the top of the building is
. What is the direct distance from the street corner to the top of the building, to the nearest metre?
- In this example, you would visualise a triangle with the given information. You can see the information here.
- This scenario involves the sine trigonometric ratio. In this case, you would use
. - You can easily substitute the numbers into the ratio.
- After substituting the given values, you can solve the equation using trigonometry.