Determine height of balloon from point directly below.

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melina0316

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Someone please help me with this problem:

Two friends observe a hot air baloon directly in line between them. Sarah determines the angle of elevation to be 65[degrees] and Suki measures the angle of elevation to be 55[degrees]. The girls mark their spots and then measure the distances between the markers. They determine this distance to be 285m. Determine the hieght of the ballon to the nearest metre from a point directly below.

:?
 
You can use the law of tangents:

\(\displaystyle \L\\\frac{285-y}{x}=tan(25)\)...[1]
\(\displaystyle \L\\\frac{y}{x}=tan(35)\)...[2]

Solve [2] for y, sub into [1] and solve for x.

balloonno7.gif
 
more help on this question

Thanks but im still a little lost. the distance between the girls is 285 not half.....like hmm im confused can you help me? :oops:
 
one-half. What does that have to do with it?. That diagram isn't to scale.

I didn't have anything in my calculations that has anything to do with one-half.

The distances are y and 285-y because the entire distance is 285 between them.

Use the equations I gave you and solve.
 
Actually I happen to have the same problem to solve.

The way I answered was... I made a triangle from half of the original. So that I could have a 90 degree angle (to work on SOH CAH TOA) I then took that "half of 285" which is 142.5 and made that the bottom.

Since the point is exactly between them.


Then I just did a simple equation:

tan (65) = o/a
2.144 = o/142.5
(2.144)(142.5) = o

o (Which happens to be the height..) = 305.59m
But in my question it says to round to the nearest metre.

So the answer would be 306m. If it says the exact same thing.


Hope that helped. I'm pretty sure I got that one right.
Are you doing it through corrospondance? (Just wondering coz its one of my module questions for trig.)


Heh, I find it kinda awesome how when I google searched the problem I found someone else needing help with it too.
 
Melina and Jare: if you don't understand what galactus told you,
then you both need classroom help on this...

"I then took that "half of 285" which is 142.5 and made that the bottom."
NO Jare: you can't just go out and assume like that :shock:
 
jare said:
Heh, I find it kinda awesome how when I google searched the problem I found someone else needing help with it too.

Just remember your teacher can Google it too - and find out who has been "naughty or nice"
Click to expand...
 
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