Trig: Angles of Elevation & Depression

Front

What is an angle of elevation?

Back

An angle of elevation is the angle formed by the horizontal line and the line of sight to an object above the horizontal line.

Front

What is an angle of depression?

Back

An angle of depression is the angle formed by the horizontal line and the line of sight to an object below the horizontal line.

Front

What is the tangent function in trigonometry?

Back

The tangent function is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side in a right triangle.

Front

What is the sine function in trigonometry?

Back

The sine function is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle.

Front

What is the cosine function in trigonometry?

Back

The cosine function is the ratio of the length of the adjacent side to the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle.

Front

How do you find the height of an object using angles of elevation?

Back

Use the formula: height = distance * tan(angle of elevation).

Front

If the angle of elevation is 30 degrees and the distance from the object is 50 feet, what is the height?

Back

Height = 50 * tan(30°) ≈ 28.87 feet.

Front

What is the relationship between angles of elevation and depression?

Back

Angles of elevation and depression are equal when measured from the same horizontal line.

Front

How do you solve for a missing angle in a right triangle?

Back

Use the inverse trigonometric functions: sin⁻¹, cos⁻¹, or tan⁻¹ based on the known sides.

Front

What is the formula to calculate the distance to an object using angles?

Back

Distance = height / tan(angle of elevation).