Problema Solution
A train rises 230 feet as it travels 1 mile up a steep grade. To the nearest tenth of a degree, find its angle of ascent. (Hint:5280 feet=1 mile.)
Answer provided by our tutors
this is a right triangle problem with 'side opposite' of 230 and 'side adjacent' or 1 mile, or 5280 feet
tangent = 'side opposite' / 'side adjacent'
let 'x' represent the angle of ascent:
x = atan(230/5280) = 2.494
the angle of ascent is 2.5 degrees