How can I find the angle that the central pole …

Geography Questions

A conical circus tent has a 20 ft central pole that supports it. The slant height of the tent is 26 ft long. Explain how to find the angle the tent pole makes with the sides of the tent. A diagram of a cone. The length and height of a cone are 26 feet and 20 feet.

Short Answer

To determine the angle between the tent pole and the tent side, visualize a right triangle formed by the pole, base, and height. Use the cosine function with a value of 0.77 and apply the arccosine function to find the angle, which is approximately 39.6 degrees.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Identify the Right Triangle

Begin by visualizing the structure of the tent, where the central pole acts as one side of a right triangle. The floor of the tent represents the base, while the height of the central pole represents the vertical side. This triangle provides the framework for determining the missing angle using trigonometric ratios.

Step 2: Determine the Cosine Ratio

To find the angle, use the cosine function which is defined as the ratio of the length of the adjacent side (the central pole) to the hypotenuse (the side of the tent). In this case, the cosine value is given as 0.77. This ratio will help us find the angle formed between the pole and the tent side.

Step 3: Calculate the Angle Using ARCCOSINE

To find the specific angle, apply the arccosine function to the ratio obtained. By calculating this, you will find that the angle the tent pole makes with the sides of the tent is approximately 39.6 degrees. This value is crucial for understanding the support dynamics of the tent structure.

Related Concepts

Right Triangle

A triangle in which one angle measures 90 degrees, used as the basis for various trigonometric calculations.

Cosine Ratio

A trigonometric function defined as the ratio of the length of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse in a right triangle, used to calculate angles.

Arccosine

The inverse function of the cosine function, used to determine the angle when the cosine value is known, important for angle calculations in trigonometry.

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