Question

A tree is broken over by the wind. It forms a right angled triangle with the ground. If the broken part makes an angle of 60° with the ground and the top of the tree is now 20m from its base, how tall WAS the tree?

Answer 1

height + hypotenuse

height = 10 tan 60
hypotenus = 10/cos 60 = 20
so
17.32 + 20

= 37.32 meters

Answer 2

the figure above represents a pole that has broken 9 feet from its base. the top portion has fallen as if hinged. the part of the pole remaining upright is perpendicular to the ground. if the top of the pole hit the ground 12 feet from its base, how tall was the pole before it broke?

Answer 3

In triangle abc angle c = 60°
tan60°= ab/bc
√3=ab/20
AB=20√3