Question #023a8

1 Answer
Nov 28, 2015

(i) AB=25.7AB=25.7 m
(ii) 38.7^@38.7
(iii) DB=29.8DB=29.8 m
(iv) 21.9^@21.9

Explanation:

I assume that I can use a calculator for this because 25 degrees is not really a great number to work with in trigonometry. I will also ignore the [ ] (brackets) and | | (pipes) notations.
Okay, let's do this.

(i) Consider the triangle ABT.
We know the following relation:
tan(25)=(BT)/(AB)tan(25)=BTAB
so
AB=(BT)/(tan(25))=12/(tan(25))AB=BTtan(25)=12tan(25)
which is
AB=25.734... ~~color(blue)25.7 m

(ii) Consider the triangle CBT.
Same relation as above. Let x be the angle /_BCT.
Then:
tan(x)=(BT)/(BC)=12/15
so,
x=tan^-1(12/15)=38.6598...~~color(blue)38.7^@

(iii) Consider the triangle ABD (or BCD).
Use the Pythagorean theorem (I'm the one who found it, I'm such a genious) to get DB:
DB^2=AB^2+AD^2
or
DB^2=AB^2+BC^2 since AD=BC
i.e.
DB=sqrt(((BT)/(tan(25)))^2 + 15^2)
i.e.
DB=29.786...~~color(blue)29.8 m

(iv) Consider the triangle DBT.
Let alpha be the angle /_BDT.
Then:
tan(alpha)=(BT)/(DB)=12/sqrt(((BT)/(tan(25)))^2 + 15^2)
or
tan(alpha)=12/29.8
so
alpha=tan^-1(12/29.8)
i.e.
alpha=21.9427...~~color(blue)21.9^@

That's it!
Just to have a little bit more confidence in our answer, and since the mast has a fixed height (12 m) you should notice that the longer the baseline is, the smaller should the angle be.
When the baseline is:

15 m (BC), the angle is 38.7^@
25.7 m (AB), the angle is 25^@
29.8 m (DB), the angle is 21.9^@

I hope these help.