To determine the height of the volcano Mount Saint Helens, a surveyor measured the angle of elevation to the top of the volcano to be 34.8°. She then moved 1000 feet closer to the volcano and measured the angle of elevation to be 40.4° Determine the height of Mount Saint Helens to the nearest foot.

The height is 3791 ft.

Step-by-step explanation:

You need to make a drawing. Start with a vertical segment, 2 inches long, on the left side of the page. Label the top point A and the bottom point B. At the bottom endpoint, draw a longer horizontal segment, 4 inches long, to the right. Label the bottom right endpoint C. Connect A and C with a segment. Angle C is the original angle of elevation. On the bottom horizontal side, approximately 1 inch to the left of C, draw point D. Connect D and A with a segment. DA = 1000 ft. m<C = 34.8°. m<ABD = 40.4°. We are looking for AB, the height of the volcano.

We can work on triangle ADC.

m<C = 34.8°

Angles ADB and ADC are a linear pair, so m<ADC = 180° - 40.4° = 139.6°

m<DAC + m<ADC + m<C = 180°

m<DAC + 139.6° + 34.8° = 180°

m<DAC = 5.6°

Using the law of sines, we can find AC.

Now we use triangle ABC. AC = hypotenuse. AB = opposite leg. <C is known angle.

The height is 3791 ft.