UCSS Math II 5.9.3 Example 3

A sonar operator on an anchored cruiser detects a pod of dolphins feeding at a depth of about 255 meters directly below. If the cruiser travels 450 meters west and the dolphins remain at the same depth to feed, what is the angle of depression, [math]x[/math], from the cruiser to the pod? What is the distance, [math]y[/math], between the cruiser and the pod? Round your answers to the nearest whole number.

[list=1] [*]Make a drawing of the scenario. [*]Find the angle of depression. Identify the given information to determine which trigonometric function to use. [*]Determine the distance, [math]y[/math]. [/list] This applet is provided by Walch Education as supplemental material for the [i]UCSS Secondary Math II[/i] program. Visit [url="http://www.walch.com"]www.walch.com[/url] for more information on our resources.