A helicopter hovers 650 feet above a small island. The figure shows that the angle of depression from the helicopter to point P is 39 degrees . How far off the​ coast, to the nearest​ foot, is the​ island?

Question

o
39
650 ft
Question content area bottom
Part 1
d​ =
  
enter your response here ft
​(Round the answer to the nearest whole​ number.)

Answer 1

To find the distance from the helicopter to the point P on the island, we can use the tangent function.

tan(39 degrees) = (distance from the coast)/650 feet

(distance from coast) = 650 feet * tan(39 degrees)
(distance from coast) = 447 feet

Therefore, the island is approximately 447 feet off the coast.