Trig question HELP!!!

Question

A person is standing on a cliff that is 200ft above a body of water. The person looks down at an angle of depression of 35^o at a sailboat. Then the person looks at a yacht that is further out at an angle of depression of 12^o. What is the distance (in feet) between the sailboat and the yacht? (Round to the nearest foot)

Answer 1

Draw and label a diagram!

M represents the location of the man

B represents the base of the cliff

S represents the location of the sailboat

Y represents the location of the yacht-

The distance between the two vessels is YS

YS = BY - BS

YS = 200 cot 78° - 200 cot 55°

Can you calculate YS and answer?

Answer 2

Essential to draw a figure.From the figure you will need to compute the angles involved.

When you do you will be able to see that the distance from shore to sailboat is 200 tan 55°.

The distance from shore to the yacht is 200 tan 78°.

Then you can easily compute the distance between the two boats.