Answer:
a. About 436 ft
b. 21,436 feet
Step-by-step explanation:
a. Notice how the plane's rise (h), its horizontal distance from the tower, and its distance to the top of the tower (25,000 ft) all form a right triangle. If we want to find h, we need some way of putting it in an equation with the two quantities we already know: the angle of elevation and the distance to the top.
In the language of right triangles, we want to combine an angle, the side opposite the angle, and the hypotenuse. The sine function is perfect for this, since [tex]\sin{\theta}=opp/hyp[/tex]. For our problem, opp = h, hyp = 25,000, and θ = 1°, so our equation becomes
[tex]\sin{1^\circ}=h/25000[/tex]
or equivalently
[tex]h=25000\sin{1^\circ}\approx436[/tex] ft (rounded up to the nearest whole foot)
b. If the plane is currently flying at 20,000 feet, it needs to rise about 436 feet to clear the top of the tower, and another 1,000 feet to follow safety protocol, making its required altitude 20,000 + 1,000 + 436 = 21,436 feet.