What is the height of the building?

HOME

Math Central

Quandaries & Queries

Question from Myra, a teacher:

The angle of elevation is 45 degrees. The distance from George's foot to the top of the building is 50m. What is the height of the building?

Hi Myra,

diagram

What are two adjectives that describe the kind of triangle PQR is?
What can you say about the lengths of the sides PQ and QR?
What does Pythagoras tell you?

Penny

Math Central is supported by the University of Regina and The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.