From the top of a 228—ft lighthouse, the angle of depression to a ship in the ocean is 16°. How far is the ship from the base of the lighthouse?

Question

distance = ______ feet

report answer accurate to two decimal places

Answer 1

Draw a diagram.

Let x = distance of the ship from the base of the lighthouse.

tan16° = 228 / x

So, x = 228 / tan16° ≈ 795.13 ft