A small airplane climbs at an angle of 18 degrees with the ground. Find the horizontal distance it has flown when it has reached an altitude of 800 m. (Round to the nearest whole number.)

Question

Please explain step by step

Answer 1

tan(18) = 800/horizontal distance

Answer 2

horizontal distance = 800cot18 = 800(3.077) = 2,462 meters

It's a right triangle, hypotenuse = direct distance traveled. other two sides are the vertical height and the horizontal distance= base

cotangent(x) = base divided by height = horizontal distance over height

cotx = b/h

b=horizontal distance = hcotx = 800cot18 = 800/tan18

cot18 = about 3.077

if your calculator doesn't have a cotangent function, find the tangent then find the inverse of the tan18

cotx= 1/tanx