An airplane rises vertically 1000 feet over a horizontal distance of 1 mile. What is the angle elevation of the airplane's path?

1 Answer
Oct 25, 2016

The angle of elevation is approximately #10.72^@#.

Explanation:

We need to start by putting everything in the same units.

Let's convert #1# mile to feet.

There are #5280# feet in a mile, so we can change the initial statement to "An airplane rises vertically 1000 feet over a horizontal distance of 5280 feet".

The angle of elevation is measured by the horizontal, so the vertical rise will be opposite to the angle of elevation, #theta#, in the imaginary triangle we draw.

The proper trigonometric ratio to use will be tangent, knowing that opposite measures #1000# feet and adjacent measures #5280# feet.

#tantheta = 1000/5280#

#theta = 10.72^@#

Hopefully this helps!