A flagpole 35 feet tall casts a shadow 28 feet long on level ground at a certain time of day. To the nearest tenth of a degree, what is the angle of elevation of the sun?
A38.7°
B51.3°
C36.9°
D53.1°
Explanation
The flagpole height (35) is opposite the sun-angle, the shadow (28) is adjacent. tan(angle) = 35 / 28 = 1.25. angle = tan⁻¹(1.25) ≈ 51.3°. Choice A (38.7°) is the complement. C uses 28/35 with sin⁻¹. D uses 28/35 with cos⁻¹.
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