Solve the problem.
-At an altitude of 3300 ft, the engine on a small plane fails. What angle of glide is needed to reach an airport runway that is 4 miles away by land? (Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a degree.)
A) 89.9°
B) 8.9°
C) 88.9°
D) 9.9°

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the glide angle, we can use the tangent function in trigonometry, where the tangent of the angle is equal to the opposite side (altitude) over the adjacent side (distance to the airport). First, convert the distance to feet since the altitude is given in feet (1 mile = 5280 feet). So, 4 miles = 4 * 5280 = 21120 feet. Then, $\tan(\theta) = \frac{3300}{21120}$. Solving for $\theta$ gives us an angle of approximately 8.9 degrees.

Solve the Problem. -At an Altitude of 3300 Ft, the Engine on a Engine