CHAPTER:HEIGHTS AND

DISTANCES
PREPARED BY: Mrs. SANGHAMITRA
SEN,
DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL NEWTOWN
INTRODUCTION

Trigonometry has a wide range of real-time applications and one among them is
finding the heights and distances of buildings and between objects.

Let us recall that the ratios of the sides of a right angled triangle which are called
trigonometric ratios. These are sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant and
cotangent. Let the ΔABC is a right angled triangle. The values in the table will
be used while solving the questions on height and distances.

We can calculate the height of an object using the distance and angles.
Here distance is the horizontal distance between the object and the angle is the
angle above the horizontal of the top of the object. The tangent of the angle is the
object height divided by the distance from the object. Thus, the height is found.
Similarly distance can also be found.
Angles of elevation and depression
When we see an object above us, there's an angle of elevation
between the horizontal line and our line of sight to the object.
Similarly, when we see an object below us, there's an angle of
depression between the horizontal line and our line of sight to the
object.
AT A GLANCE
1. The height of a tree is √3 times the length of its shadow. Find the
angle of elevation of the sun.
Solution:

Let’s assume the length of the shadow (BC) of the tree to be x unit.
So, the height of the tree (AB) = √3 x unit
If θ is the angle of elevation of the sun, then we have
tan θ = √3 x/ x = √3 = tan 60o
 θ = 60o
2. In the figure, given below, it is given that AB is perpendicular to BD and is
of length X metres. DC = 30 m, ∠ADB = 30o and ∠ACB = 45o. Without using
tables, find X.

Solution:

In ∆ABC,
AB
= tan 45 o = 1
BC
So, BC = AB = X
In ∆ABD,
AB
= tan 30 o
BD
X 1
 =
30  X 3
 30 + X = √3X

 30 = X ( 3 1)

 X = 30/ (√3 – 1) = 30/ (1.732 – 1) = 30/ 0.732

Thus, X = 40.98 m
3.The angles of depression of two ships from the top of a light house and on
the same side of it are found to be 45° and 30°. If the ships are 200 m apart,
find the height of the light house.
Solution:
Let AB be the height of the light house, D and C are two ships here and
DC = 200 m, Let BC = x m, AB = h m. In ∆ABC,

∴ Height of the light house = 273 m

Thank you