The dept sensor on a boat showsthat the boat is 57 feet above the seafloor.The rope that holds the anchor is 80 feet long. Approximate the angle of depression from the boat to the anchor on the seafloor to the nearest tenth of a degree?

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Answer 1 · 2018-06-01T04:29:57

#"Angle of depression "= 45.4#
The drawing below can help visualize the problem and the right triangle we are working with.

Let #theta# be the angle of depression from the boat to the anchor on the seafloor.

enter image source here

We want to find the value of #theta#.
#cos(90-theta) = 57/80#

#90-theta = cos^-1(57/80)#

#theta = 90 - cos^-1(57/80)#

#theta = 90 - 44.561#

#theta = 45.4#