Question

Reed is snorkeling on the surface of the ocean, 22 feet from an anchored boat. The anchor is on the ocean floor, 34 feet away from Reed. What is the angle of depression between Reed and the anchor?(1 point)

65°


40°


50°


90°

Answer 1

Let the depth be h. In the right triangle with hypotenuse 34 and horizontal leg 22:
h = sqrt(34^2 − 22^2) = sqrt(1156 − 484) = sqrt(672) ≈ 25.92 ft.

Angle of depression θ = arctan(opposite/adjacent) = arctan(h/22) = arctan(25.92/22) ≈ 50°.

Answer: 50°.