CLASS X / WEEK 17 / HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES / WS 1

Solve the sums given from S. Chand’s ICSE Mathematics Ex: 17

1. The string of a kite is 150 m long and it makes an angle of 60˚ with the horizontal. Find
the height of the kite from the ground.
2. A vertical tower is 20 m high. A man at some distance from the tower knows that the
cosine of the angle of elevation of the top of the tower is 0.53. How far is he standing
from the foot of the tower? [Cos 58˚= 0.531, tan 58˚= 1.6003]
3. A person standing on the bank of the river observes that the angle of elevation of the
top of a tree standing on the opposite bank is 60˚. When he moves 40 m away from the
bank, he finds the angle of elevation to be 30˚. Find
i) The height of the tree, correct to 2 decimal places. ii) the width of the river.
4. A player sitting on the top of a tower of height 20 m observes the angle of depression of
a ball lying on the ground as 60˚. Find the distance between the foot of the tower and
the ball. [Take = 1.732]
5. The length of a string between a kite and a point on the ground is 90 meters. If the sting
15
makes an angle  with the level ground such that tan  = , how high is the kite?
8
Assume there is no slack in the string.
6. The horizontal distance between the two towers is 60 m and the angular depression of
the first, as seen from the top of the second, which is 150 m high is 30˚, find the height of
the first.
7. From the top of a cliff, 150 meters high, the angle of depression of the top and bottom of
a tower are observed to be 30˚ and 60˚, find the height of the tower.
8. From a point P on level ground, the angle of elevation of the top of a tower is 30˚. If the
tower is 100 m high, how far is P from the foot of the tower?
9. An aeroplane when 3000 m high passes vertically above another aeroplane at an
instance when their angles of elevation at the same observation point are 60˚ and 45˚.
How many metres higher is the one than the other?
10. The angle of elevation of a cloud from a point 60 m above the lake is 30˚ and the angle
of depression of the reflection of the cloud in the lake is 60˚. Find the height of the
cloud.

ANSWERS:

1. 129.9 m
2. 12.5 m
3. i) 34.64 m ii) 20 m
4. 11.55 m
5. 79.4 m
6. 115.36 m
7. 100 m
8. 173.2 m
9. 1268 m
10. 120 m