Mathematics-xth

Important Questions Applications of Trigonometry:

1. Determine the height of a mountain if the elevation of its top at an unknown distance from
the base is 30 and at a distance 10 km further off from the mountain, along the same line,
the angle of elevation is 15.
(use tan 15 = 0.27 and

3 1.732 )

2. The angle of elevation of a jet plane from a point A on the ground is 60. After a flight of 15
seconds, the angle of elevation changes to 30. If the jet plane is flying at a constant height of
1500 3m, find the speed of the jet plane.
3. The angle of elevation of the top of a tower from a point A on the ground is 30. On moving a
distance of 20 m towards the foot of the tower to a point B, the angle of elevation increases
to 60. Find the height of the tower and distance of the tower from the point A. (use
3 1.732 )
4. The angle of elevation of the top of a lighthouse as seen by a person on the ground is such
5
that tan
. When the person moves a distance of 240 m towards the lighthouse, the
12
3
angle of elevation becomes such that tan . Find the height of the lighthouse.
4
5. An aeroplane, when 3000 m high, passes vertically above another aeroplane at an instant
when the angles of elevation of the two aeroplanes from the same point on the ground are
60 and 45 respectively. Find the vertical distance between the two aeroplanes. (use
3 1.732 )
6. A vertical tower stands on a horizontal plane and is surmounted by a vertical flagstaff of
height h. At a point on the plane, the angle of elevation of the bottom of the flagstaff is
htan
.
and that of the top of the flagstaff is . Prove that the height of the tower is
tan tan
7. On a horizontal plane there is a vertical tower with a flag pole on the top of the tower. At a
point 9 m away from the foot of the tower the angles of elevation of the top and bottom of
the flag pole are 60 and 30 respectively. Find the height of the tower and flag pole
mounted on it.
8. Two men on either side of a 80 m high cliff observe the angles of elevation of the top of the
cliff to be 30 and 60 respectively. Find the distance between the two men.
9. The angle of elevation of the top Q of a vertical tower PQ from a point X on the ground is
60. At a point Y, 40 m vertically above X, the angle of elevation is 45. Find the height of the
tower PQ and the distance XP. (use 3 1.732 )
10.From the top of a 15 m high building the angle of elevation of the top of a tower is found to
be 30. From the bottom of the same building, the angle of elevation of the top of the tower
is found to be 45. Determine the height of the tower and the distance between the tower
and the building. (use 3 1.732 )
11.A 1.2 m tall girl spots a balloon moving with the wind in a horizontal line at a height of 88.2
m from the ground. The angle of elevation of the balloon from the eyes of the girl at any
instant is 60. After sometime, the angle of elevation reduces to 30. Find the distance
travelled by the balloon during the interval.
12.The horizontal distance between two towers is 70 m. The angle of depression of the top of
the first tower when seen from the top of the second tower is 30. If the height of the second
tower is 120 m, find the height of the first tower. (use 3 1.732 )
13.A man is standing on the deck of a ship, which is 8 m above water level. He observes the
angle of elevation of the top of a hill as 60 and the angel of depression of the base of the
hill as 30. Calculate the distance of the hill from the ship and the height of the hill.

Mathematics-xth
14.From a window (h metres hight above the ground) of a house in a street, the angle of
elevation and depression of the top and the foot of another house on the opposite side of the
street are and respectively. Show that the height of the opposite side house is
h 1 tan cot .
15.A pole 5 m high is fixed on the top of a tower. The angle of elevation of the top of the pole
observed from a point A on the ground is 60 and the angle of depression of the point A from
the top of the tower is 45. Find the height of the tower.
16.If the angle of elevation of a cloud from a point h metre above a take is and the angle of
depression of its reflection in the take is , prove that the distance of the cloud from the
2hsec
.
point of observation is
tan tan
17.The angel of elevation of a cloud from a point 200 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.
18.As observed from the top of a 75 m high light house from the sea level, the angles of
depression of two ships are 30 and 45. If one ship is exactly behind the other on the same
side of the lighthouse, find the distance between the two ships.
19.From the top of a hill, he angles of depression of two consecutive kilometer stones due east
are found to be 30 and 45 respectively. Find the height of the hill. (use 3 1.732 )
20.From the top of a tower, the angles of depression of two objects on the same side of the
tower are found to be and . If the distance between the objects is p metre, show
that the height h of the tower is given by h

ptan tan
. Also determine the height of the
tan tan

tower if p 50m, 60, 30.

21.A vertically straight tree, 15 m high, is broken by the wind in such a way that its top just
touches the ground and makes an angle of 60 with the ground. At what height from the
ground did the tree break?
22.A person standing on the bank of a river observes that the angle of elevation of the top of a
tree on the opposite bank is 60. When he moves 40 metres away from the bank, he finds
the angle of elevation to be 30. Find the height of the tree and width of the river. (use
3 1.732 )
23.A person observed the angle of elevation of the top of a tower as 30. He walked 50 m
towards the foot of the tower along level ground and found the angle of elevation of the top
of the tower as 60. Find the height of the tower.
24.The angle of elevation of the top of a tower as observed from a point in a horizontal plane
through the foot of the tower is 30. When the observer moves towards the tower a distance
of 100 m, he finds the angle of elevation of the top to be 60, find the height of the tower
and the distance of first position from the tower.
25.A man in a boat rowing away from a light house, 100 3m high, takes 2 minutes to changes
the angle of elevation of the top of the lighthouse from 60 to 30. Find the speed of the
boat.
26.An aeroplane, when 3000 m high, passes vertically above another aeroplane at an instant
when the angles of elevation of two aeroplanes from the same point on the ground are 60
and 45 respectively. Find the vertical distance between the two aeroplanes.
27.An aeroplane when flying at a height of 3125 m from the ground passes vertically below
another plane at an instant when the angles of elevation of the two planes from the same
point on the ground are 30 and 60 respectively. Find the distance between the two planes
at that instant.
28.The angle of elevation of a jet plane from a point P on the ground is 60. After a flight of 15
seconds, the angle of elevation changes to 30. If the jet plane is flying at a constant height
of 1500 3m, find the speed of the jet plane.

Mathematics-xth
29.The angle of elevation of a jet fighter from a point A on the ground is 60. After a flight of 15
seconds, the angle of elevation changes to 30. If the jet is flying at a speed of 720 km/hr,
find the constant height at which the jet is flying. (use 3 1.732 )
30.An aeroplane flying horizontally 1 km above the ground is observed at an elevation of 60.
After 10 seconds, its elevation is observed to be 30. Find the speed of the aeroplane in
km/hr.
31.A statue 1.46 m tall, stands on the top of a pedestal. From a point on the ground, the angle,
of elevation of the top of the statue is 60 and from the same point, the angle of elevation of
the top of the pedestal is 45. Find the height of pedestal. (use 3 1.732 )
32.Two men on either side of the cliff 80 m high observe the angles of the elevation of the top of
the cliff to be 30 and 60 respectively. Find the distance between the two men.
33.Two men standing on either side of a tower 60 m high observe the angles of elevation of the
top of the tower to be 45 and 60 respectively. Find the distance between the two men.
34.A man on the deck of a ship is 12 m above water level. He observed that the angle of
elevation of the top of a cliff is 60 and the angle of depression of the base is 30. Calculate
the distance of the cliff from the ship and the height of the cliff. (use 3 1.732 )
35.A man on the deck of a ship is 10 m above the water level. He observes that the angle of
elevation of the top of a cliff is 60 and the angle of depression of the base is 30. Calculate
the distance of the cliff from the ship and the height of the cliff.
36.From the top and foot of a tower 40 m high, the angles of elevation of the top of a lighthouse
is found to be 30 and 60 respectively. Find the height of the lighthouse. Also find distance
of the top of the lighthouse from the foot of the tower.
37.A man on the top of a vertical tower observes a car moving at a uniform speed coming
directly towards it. If it takes 12 minutes for the angle of depression to change from 30 to
45, how soon after this, will the car reach the tower?
38.The horizontal distance between two trees of different heights is 60 m. The angle of
depression of the first tree when seen from the top of the second tree is 45. If the height of
the second tree is 80 m, find the height of the first tree.
39.Two pillars of equal height stand on either side of a roadway which is 150 m wide. From a
point on the roadway between the pillars, the angles of elevation of the top of the pillars are
60 and 30. Find the heights of the pillars and the position of the point.
40.The angle of depression of the top and the bottom of a building 50 metres high as observed
from the top of a tower are 30 and 60 respectively. Find the height of the tower and also
the horizontal distance between the building and the tower.
41.From a window 60 metres high above the ground in a street, the angles of elevation and
depression of the top and foot of the other house on the opposite sides of the street are 60

and 45 respectively. Show that the height of the opposite house is 60

3 1 metres.

42.A boy standing on a horizontal plane finds a bird flying at a distance of 100 m from him at an
elevation of 30. A girl standing on the roof of 20 m high building, find the angle of elevation
of the same bird to be 45. Both the boy and the girl are on opposite sides of the bird. Find
the distance of bird from the girl.
43.From a building 60 m high the angle of depression of the top and bottom of lamp-post are
30 and 60 respectively. Find the distance between lamp-post and building. Also find the
difference of height between building and lamp-post.
44.On a horizontal plane there is a vertical tower with a flag pole on the top of the tower. At a
point 9 m away from the foot of the tower the angle of elevation of the top and bottom of the
flag pole are 60 and 30 respectively. Find the height of the tower and flag pole mounted on
it.

Mathematics-xth
45.The angle of elevation of the top of a tower as observed from a point on the ground is and
on moving a metres towards the tower, the angle of elevation is . Prove that the height of
atan tan
.
the tower is
tan tan