Hard to see how to approach this problem

[allegansveritatem]

My problem with this exercise is this: I don't see any right angles here.

What I did is:



How do I begin with this? Why are we given the height of the man. What are we given the angle alpha?

 

[lev888]

First of all, get a ruler and make a nice sketch. Chicken scratches make things more difficult for you.
You are given 2 angles because, I'm guessing, you'll need 2 triangles.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Don't use the numbers from part (b) until you've solved part (a).

Make a careful sketch with parts labeled with the given variables and a couple others (like your x and y) if you wish. Then show and explain each equation you write -- if you write it so we can understand, that will help you think more carefully.

My drawing has two overlapping triangles.

As for your difficulty embedding images, you might want to submit that to the Administration Issues forum, including a full description or screenshot of what it says, and a list of software (browser, app, ...) that you are using.

 

[mmm4444bot]

Hi allegansveritatem. Did you use the 'Insert image' icon, on the toolbar? I'm not sure what you mean, when you say no option is given or available.

When I clicked 'Edit' on your recent posts with attachments, I saw the insert buttons 'Thumbnail' and 'Full image' near the bottom of the page. Clicking the 'Full image' button inserted the corresponding image into the post at the cursor's location.

Next time after posting attachments, try editing the post. Do you see the buttons? (Note, the two buttons have no space between them; they look like a single button, so click the name 'Full image'.)

If you don't see the buttons, then please post screen shot(s) on the Administrative Issues board. Or post what happened, after you clicked the 'Insert image' icon on the toolbar.

\(\;\)

 

[allegansveritatem]

Hi allegansveritatem. Did you use the 'Insert image' icon, on the toolbar? I'm not sure what you mean, when you say no option is given or available.

When I clicked 'Edit' on your recent posts with attachments, I saw the insert buttons 'Thumbnail' and 'Full image' near the bottom of the page. Clicking the 'Full image' button inserted the corresponding image into the post at the cursor's location.

Next time after posting attachments, try editing the post. Do you see the buttons? (Note, the two buttons have no space between them; they look like a single button, so click the name 'Full image'.)

If you don't see the buttons, then please post screen shot(s) on the Administrative Issues board. Or post what happened, after you clicked the 'Insert image' icon on the toolbar.

\(\;\)

When I say that there was no option to embed an image I am referring to the fact that all the icons that run across the top of the post box (?) were grayed out. I am now on a different computer and I see that now the option bar is live...so I am beginning to suspect that something in my other machine is acting up. I recently installed a new video card and that may be where this problem has its root.

 

[allegansveritatem]

First of all, get a ruler and make a nice sketch. Chicken scratches make things more difficult for you.
You are given 2 angles because, I'm guessing, you'll need 2 triangles.

It is a bad sketch, true....but when I drew that I had drawn so many others for this same problem that by the time I got down to this one my patience had gone and left me to my own harried devices. I will try to do better. As for the two triangles, yes, I have been pondering this problem off and on since I posted it on the forum and have concluded the same thing.. A two or three step procedure is called for here. I will try again tomorrow.

 

[allegansveritatem]

Don't use the numbers from part (b) until you've solved part (a).

Make a careful sketch with parts labeled with the given variables and a couple others (like your x and y) if you wish. Then show and explain each equation you write -- if you write it so we can understand, that will help you think more carefully.

My drawing has two overlapping triangles.

As for your difficulty embedding images, you might want to submit that to the Administration Issues forum, including a full description or screenshot of what it says, and a list of software (browser, app, ...) that you are using.

I used the numbers in desperation, not having had any luck with part a after an hour of hacking at it. I thought that maybe having the numbers in the game would somehow suggest something useful. I will certainly make a better sketch tomorrow and go at it again.

 

[Steven G]

You need to see right angles. You have a vertical building, so if you draw any horizontal line from the building you will a right angle. Now think about where to put the horizontal line(s) so they will be helpful.

 

[Steven G]

I used the numbers in desperation, not having had any luck with part a after an hour of hacking at it. I thought that maybe having the numbers in the game would somehow suggest something useful. I will certainly make a better sketch tomorrow and go at it again.

In some problems the numbers are not always helpful!

 

[allegansveritatem]

so, I went at it again today, with claw and jaw, and made a little headway but only with the second part. I still find it impossible to digest all that I had to do to get an answer to the question, namely, how high is the building, to digest all that work into a formula. But for the second part I finally settled on three triangles, two smaller and one encompassing both the others and connecting to the top of the building. One of the triangles was used to get part of the base for the big triangle and another of the small triangles was used to get the rest of the base. Once I had the base for the big triangle I figured out the angle made between the hypotenuse and the building and used that to find the lengths of the lines. One of the smaller triangles had a hypotneuse running to the base of the building and a side opposite a 15 degree angle whose length I subtracted from the corresponding line in the big triangle and that gave me the height of the building which was 22.54 ft. I say mall this by way of explaining the following diagrams--which needs all the help it can get, admittedly, but I did my damnedest with them:





But, assuming my solution is correct...how do I condense all that into a formula?