A 22-ft flagpole casts a 62-ft shadow. Calculate the angle of elevation to the sun to the nearest degree.

Answer 1

Use SOH-CAH-TOA:

Height of the flagpole = Opposite side of the angle.

Length of the shadow = Adjacent side of the angle.

Opposite / Adjacent = O / A = Tangent of the angle (TOA).

Tangent inverse of (22/62) ≈ 19.5 degrees, or 20 degrees, rounded to the nearest degree.

Answer 2

Let θ be the angle of elevation.

tanθ = 22 / 62 = 0.3548387

θ = Tan^-1(0.3548387) ≈ 20°