Sam measures a 30 degree angle between a flagpole and a tree. If Sam measured 20 m between himself and the tree and there is a 90 degree angle from the tree to the flagpole and Sam, how far away is the tree from the flagpole?
A)20 m
B)10 m
C)11.5 m
D)17.3 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a right triangle problem where Sam is at one vertex, the tree is at another, and the flagpole is at the third. The angle between Sam and the tree is 30 degrees, and the distance from Sam to the tree is 20 m. Using trigonometry, specifically the sine function, sin(30) = opposite/hypotenuse = distance from tree to flagpole/20 m. Since sin(30) = 0.5, the distance from the tree to the flagpole is 20 m * 0.5 = 10 m.

Sam Measures a 30 Degree Angle Between a Flagpole and a Tree