Guy wires 80 feet long support a 65-foot tall telephone pole. To the nearest degree, what angle will the wires make with the ground?

3 answers

Draw a diagram, and it will be clear that the pole is opposite to the angle the wire makes with the ground.
Since the wire is at an angle, it is also the hypotenuse of the right triangle.

The ratio
sin(θ)=opposite/hypotenuse
=65/80
is what you need to find the angle using θ=sin-1(65/80).

Post your answer for a check if you wish.
0.8125
54