Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V - Bicol
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF LEGAZPI CITY

ILLUSTRATING ANGLE OF DEPRESSION

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET # 4
MATHEMATICS 9
Name: ___________________________________ Section: _____________________
Reference Module: _ Quarter 4, Week 4 Date: _____________________

I. Learning Skills from MELCs

K to 12 CG
Quarter Most Essential Learning Competency
Codes
• Illustrate angles of depression
Quarter 4 - Define angle of depression;
M9GE-IVd-1
(Week 4) - Illustrate angles of depression; and
- Solve problem involving angle of depression.

II. Introductory Concept:

The angle of depression is just the opposite scenario of the angle of elevation. In this case, the
observer is standing at height and the object is kept below the line of sight of the observer. We can define
it as if the object is kept below the eye level of the observer, then the angles formed between the horizontal
line and the observer’s line of sight is called the angle of depression.
The angle of depression is the angle between the horizontal line of sight and the line of sight down
to an object. For example, if you were standing on top of a hill or a building, looking down at an object,
you could measure the angle of depression. You can measure these angles using a clinometer or a theodolite.
People tend to use clinometers or theodolites to measure the height of trees and other tall objects.

Angle of Depression
The angle of depression is the angle between a horizontal line from the observer and the line of sight
to an object that is below the horizontal line.
In the diagram below, PQ is the horizontal line. θ is the angle of depression from the observer at P
to the object at R.

https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/angle-of-elevation.html

The angle of depression can also be seen as the angle from the horizontal to a line of
sight from the observer to some point of interest.

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 Angle of Depression Formula
The angle of depression may be found by using this formula:
tan y = opposite/adjacent. The opposite side in this case is usually the height of the observer or height in
terms of location. Example is the height of a plane in the air above the ground. The adjacent is usually the
horizontal distance between the object and the observer.
𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐
tan y = 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂
𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉 𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐 𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕 𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐 (𝒊𝒊𝒊𝒊 𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕 𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐 𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍)
= 𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉𝒉 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕 𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂 𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕𝒕 𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐𝒐

Steps in solving problem involving Angle of Depression?

Step 1: Draw a sketch of the situation.
Step 2: Mark in the given angle of depression.
Step 3: Use trigonometry to find the required missing length.

Example 1: Consider the diagram below. Which angle represents angle of depression?

Holt McDougal Geometry

Answer: ∠5 is formed by a horizontal line and a line of sight to a point below the line.
It is an angle of depression.

Example 2: How high is the man in the hot air balloon from the ground? Refer to the figure.

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 ℎ
Answer: tan 50° =
100𝑚𝑚
100 (tan 50˚) = h
100 (1.1917) = h
119.2m = h

Example 3: From the top of a vertical cliff 40 meters high, the angle of depression of an object that is
level with the base of the cliff is 34°. How far is the object from the base of the cliff?
Answer: Follow the steps in solving problem. Draw the sketch of the figure, label, and mark angle
of depression. Then, use trigonometry to find the missing length.
Solution: Let x be the distance of the object from the base of the cliff.
34° is the angle of depression.

40
tan 34° =
𝑥𝑥
x tan 34°= 40 (multiply both sides by x)
x (0.6745) = 40
0.6745 x = 40 (divide both sides by 0.6745)
0.6745 𝑥𝑥 40
=
0.6745 0.6745
x = 59.30m

The distance of the object from the base of the cliff is about 59.30m.
III. Learning Activities:
Directions: Answer the following problems. Show complete solution for you to have 5 points
each item. In the first two activities, the figures are already drawn.

Practice Task 1:
An ice climber stands at the edge of a crevasse that is 115 ft wide. The angle of depression
from the edge where she stands to the bottom of the opposite side is 52º. How deep is the
crevasse at this point? Round to the nearest foot.

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Practice Task 2:
a) The angle of depression from the top of a tower to a boulder on the ground is
38º. If the tower is 25m high, how far from the base of the tower is the
boulder?
38º

25

38º
x
trig-ratio-applications-19w1vaj

b) An observer in a lighthouse is 69 ft above the water. He sights two boats in

the water directly in front of him. The angle of depression to the nearest boat
is 48º. The angle of depression to the other boat is 22º. What is the distance
between the two boats? Round to the nearest foot.

Practice Task 3:
a) Suppose the ranger sees another fire and the angle of depression to the fire is 3°. What is the
horizontal distance to this fire? Round to the nearest foot.

b) A pilot flying at an altitude of 12,000 ft sights two airports directly in front of him. The angle
of depression to one airport is 78°, and the angle of depression to the second airport is 19°.
What is the distance between the two airports? Round to the nearest foot.

c) A plane is flying at an altitude of 14,500 ft. The angle of depression from the plane to a
control tower is 15°. What is the horizontal distance from the plane to the tower? Round to the
nearest foot.

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IV. Performance Task
Read, understand, and answer the situation given. You will be graded according to the rubric
below.
A stands at the window of a so that his are 12.6 m above the
level ground in the vicinity of the . An object is 58.5 m away from the
on a line directly beneath the .

Find the angle of depression of the person line of sight to the object on the ground.

RATING
Criteria 10 8 6 4
Solution Details and the process are Lacks one detail but Lacks two details Lacks more than
complete. process is complete and the process is two details and
not complete the process is not
complete
Content / All contents are directly Content and drawn Has difficulty Presentation does
Figure related to the topic. Content figure are directly explaining how the not relate to topic
and drawn figure are related to the topic. content and topic
thoroughly developed, and Included many details relate.
the details demonstrate that demonstrate
knowledge of the topic knowledge of the
topic

V. References:
Byjus Angle of Elevation – Definition, Formula and Examples
Accessed April 30, 2021
https://byjus.com/maths/angle-of-elevation
Cariṅo, Raymundo, etal. Trigonometry for High Schools. 1982
Hall, Hayden. Trigonometry. Prentice Hall 1993
Jose-Dilao, Orines. Advanced Algebra Trigonometry and Statistics. Book Media Press, Inc. 2003
Khan Academy “Article on Angles of Elevation and Depression. “
Accessed April 29,2021
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/geometry/hs-geo-trig/hs-geo-modeling-with-right-triangles/a/angles-
of-elevation-and-depression

LearnAlberta.ca Angles of Elevation and Depression

Accessed April 30, 2021
https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/memg/division03/angle%20of%20elevation/index.html

Math article Angles of elevation and depression.

Accessed April 30,2021
https://www.mathsteacher.com.au/year10/ch15_trigonometry/12_elevation_depression/23elevdep.htm

Orines, Reyes Jr., etal. Advanced Algebra Trigonometry and Statistics. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.
2008

Varsity Tutors Angles of Elevation and Depression

Accessed April 29, 2021
https://www.varsitytutors.com/hotmath/hotmath_help/topics/angles-of-elevation-and-depression
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 VI. Answer Key (with solution):
Practice Task 1: 𝑦𝑦
tan 52° = 115
115 (tan 52°) = y
y = 115(1.2799)
y = 147.2 ft
y ≈ 147 ft.

Practice Task 2: Practice task 3:

a) Using the 38˚ angle as a reference, we know a) tan 3° =
90
𝑥𝑥
opposite and adjacent side.
25 90
tan 38° = write a tangent ratio x=
𝑥𝑥 tan 3°
x(tan 38°) = 25 multiply both sides by x x ≈ 1717 ft.
x (0.7812) = 25 simplify the expression (look
for tan 38°) b) Step 1: Draw a sketch. Let P represent the
25
x = divide both sides by (0.7812) pilot and let A and B represent the two airports.
0,7812
Let x be the distance between the two airports.
x ≈ 32.0m
The boulder is approx. / about 32 m from the base
Step 2: Find y.
of the tower. 12,000
tan 78° =
𝑦𝑦
b) Step 1 Draw a sketch. Let L represent the observer y=
12,000
tan 78°
in the lighthouse and let A and B represent the two
y ≈ 2,551 ft.
boats. Let x be the distance between the two boats.
Step 3: Find z.
Step 2: Find y. 12,000
69 tan 19° =
tan 48° = 𝑧𝑧
𝑦𝑦 12,000
69 z=
y= tan 19°
tan 48° z ≈ 34,851 ft.
y ≈ 62.1 ft. Step 4: Find x.
Step 3: Find z. x=z-y
69
tan 22° = x ≈ 34,851 – 2551
𝑧𝑧
69
z= x ≈ 32,300 ft
tan 22°
z ≈ 170.8 ft. The two airports are about 32,300
Step 4: Find x. ft apart.
x=z–y
x = 170.8 ft – 62.1 ft.
x ≈ 109 ft.
The two boats are about 109 ft apart.

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Practice Task 3:

c) 54,115 ft
A plane is flying at an altitude of 14,500 ft. The angle of
depression from the plane to a control tower is 15°. What is the
horizontal distance from the plane to the tower? Round to the nearest
foot
Solve for x.

14,500
tan 15° = 𝑥𝑥
14,500
x= tan 15°
x ≈ 54,114.7367 ft.
x ≈ 54,115 ft.
The horizontal distance from a plane to the tower is
approximately/about 54,115 ft.

Prepared by:
NELDA D. LORIN
Cabangan High School

Quality Assured:
EDGAR G. ARCIGA, JR.
Homapon High School

DANILO V. LLARENA
School Head, Cabangan High School

WILSON B. ANZA
PSDS, District 5

PORTIA P. ENCISA
EPS, Mathematics

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