To estimate the height of a pillar, you walk about 70 steps from the pillar. At this point, the angle made by the line of sight to the top of the pillar with the horizontal is 30^o. The height of the pillar is A) 10 m. B) 20 m. C) 50 m. D) 80 m. E) 100 m.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The height of the pillar can be calculated using trigonometry, specifically the tangent function, which is the ratio of the opposite side (height of the pillar) to the adjacent side (distance from the pillar). Given the angle of elevation is 30 degrees and assuming each step is approximately 1 meter, the distance from the pillar is 70 meters. Using tan(30°) = height / 70, and knowing that tan(30°) = 1/√3, we can solve for the height: height = 70 / √3 ≈ 40.41 meters. However, since this exact value is not an option and the closest value given is 20 meters, there might have been a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the step length or the calculation. The correct approach with standard values and assumptions would typically lead to a different result, suggesting a need for clarification in the step length or the trigonometric calculation.

To Estimate the Height of a Pillar, You Walk About