Question

A student measures the length of the shadow of the Washington Monument to be 620 ft. If the Washington Monument is 555 ft tall, approximate the angle of elevation of the Sun to the nearest tenth of a degree.

Answer 1

Answer:

The angle of elevation of the Sun = 41.8°

Explanation:

Let the angle of elevation of the sun be θ

Using trigonometric relations,

Tan θ = opp/adj

opp = the height of the Washington Tower = 555 ft

adj = the length of the shadow = 620 ft

Tan θ = (555/620) = 0.8952

θ = Tan⁻¹ (0.8952) = 41.8°

Hence, the angle of elevation of the Sun = 41.8°