1. Right Triangle Trigonometry
Word Problems

2. Angle of Elevation- Angle created by a horizontal surface and the hypotenuse. Ex. The angle of elevation of the top of a pole measures 48° from a point on the ground 18 ft away from its base. Find the height of the flagpole.

3. Example 1
A 6ft man casts a shadow. If the angle of elevation to the sun is 33°, how long is the shadow?

4. Ex 2: Length of a Building’s Shadow
An 850-foot tall building casts a shadow of
length L when the sun is θ° above the horizon.
Write L as a function of θ.
Complete the table below. θ
10°
20°
30°
40°
50° L

5. Ex 3: Drive-in Movie
You are 50 feet from the screen at a drive-in movie. Your eye is on a horizontal line with the bottom of the screen and the angle of elevation to the top of the screen is 58°. How tall is the screen?

6. Ex. 4 Depth of a Submarine The sonar of a navy cruiser detects a
nuclear submarine that is 4000 feet from
the cruiser. The angle between the water
level and the submarine is 32°. How deep
is the submarine?

7. Ex 5: Airplane Ascent When an airplane leaves the runway, its
angle of climb is 18° and its speed is 275
feet per second. Find the plane’s altitude
after 1 minute.

8. Ex 6: Skyscraper
You are a block away from a skyscraper that is 780 ft tall. Your friend is between the skyscraper and yourself. The angle of elevation from your position to the top of the skyscraper is 42°. The angle of elevation from your friend’s position to the top of the skyscraper is 71°. To the nearest foot, how far are you from your friend?