Find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp if it has height 3 ft and a 20-degree incline. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth of a foot.
Find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp if it has height 3 ft and a 20-degree incline. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth of a foot.
Trigonometry (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134217437
Author:Margaret L. Lial, John Hornsby, David I. Schneider, Callie Daniels
Publisher:Margaret L. Lial, John Hornsby, David I. Schneider, Callie Daniels
Chapter1: Trigonometric Functions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RE:
1. Give the measures of the complement and the supplement of an angle measuring 35°.
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![The problem is to find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp given the height and angle of incline.
**Problem**:
Find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp if it has a height of 3 feet and a 20-degree incline. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth of a foot.
**Solution**:
To solve this problem, you can use trigonometry, specifically the tangent function in a right triangle, which relates the angle to the opposite side and adjacent side.
Let's denote:
- The height of the ramp (the vertical side of the right triangle) as \( h = 3 \) ft.
- The angle of the ramp incline as \( \theta = 20^\circ \).
- The horizontal width (the length of the adjacent side to the angle), which we need to find, as \( w \).
Using the tangent function:
\[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} \]
\[ \tan(20^\circ) = \frac{3}{w} \]
Solving for \( w \):
\[ w = \frac{3}{\tan(20^\circ)} \]
Using a calculator to find \( \tan(20^\circ) \approx 0.364 \):
\[ w \approx \frac{3}{0.364} \]
\[ w \approx 8.24 \]
Hence, the horizontal width of the ramp is approximately 8.24 feet.](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fd24861ef-92b0-4cd8-8c54-2ac2200498ec%2Fc2c82c81-efc9-46ab-9e01-e12200818bf0%2Fygr99oi_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Transcribed Image Text:The problem is to find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp given the height and angle of incline.
**Problem**:
Find the horizontal width of a skateboard ramp if it has a height of 3 feet and a 20-degree incline. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth of a foot.
**Solution**:
To solve this problem, you can use trigonometry, specifically the tangent function in a right triangle, which relates the angle to the opposite side and adjacent side.
Let's denote:
- The height of the ramp (the vertical side of the right triangle) as \( h = 3 \) ft.
- The angle of the ramp incline as \( \theta = 20^\circ \).
- The horizontal width (the length of the adjacent side to the angle), which we need to find, as \( w \).
Using the tangent function:
\[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} \]
\[ \tan(20^\circ) = \frac{3}{w} \]
Solving for \( w \):
\[ w = \frac{3}{\tan(20^\circ)} \]
Using a calculator to find \( \tan(20^\circ) \approx 0.364 \):
\[ w \approx \frac{3}{0.364} \]
\[ w \approx 8.24 \]
Hence, the horizontal width of the ramp is approximately 8.24 feet.
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