Question

a ramp 37 ft long rises to a platform. the bottom of the platform is 17 ft from the foot of the ramp. find x, the angle of elevation of the ramp. round your answer to the nearest tenth of a degree.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the trigonometric ratio

We know the adjacent side (\(17\)) and the hypotenuse (\(37\)) of the right - triangle. The cosine ratio is defined as \(\cos x=\frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}}\). So, \(\cos x = \frac{17}{37}\).

Step2: Solve for \(x\)

Take the inverse cosine of both sides. \(x=\cos^{- 1}(\frac{17}{37})\). Using a calculator, \(x\approx62.7^{\circ}\)

Answer:

\(62.7\)