9

CHAPTER
Some Applications of
Trigonometry
NCERT Exercise

Let PR be the broken part of the tree as follows, also

Exercise-I ∠R = 30° and QR = 8m. (Given)
We need to find the height of the tree, which is
1. A circus artist is climbing a 20m long rope,
PQ + PR.
which is tightly stretched and tied from the top
of a vertical pole to the ground Find the height In ΔPQR,
of the pole, if the angle made by the rope with QR 3 8  3
the ground level is 30°.
cos 30° = ⇒ =   cos30° = 
PR 2 PR  2 
A
16
PR = m...(i)
3
20 m
PQ 1 PQ
Also, tan 30° = ⇒ =
30° QR 3 8
B C
 1 
Sol. Let AB = x m  tan 30° = 
8  3
AB ⇒ PQ = m
sin 30° = 3
AC
1 x Hence, the total height of the tree = PQ + PR
=
2 20 16 8 24
= + = =8 3 m
x = 10 m 3 3 3
2. A tree breaks due to storm and the broken part 3. A contractor plans to install two slides for the
bends so that the top of the tree touches the children to play in a park. For the children below
ground making an angle 30° with it. The distance the age of 5 years, she prefers to have a slide whose
between the foot of the tree to the point where top is at a height of 1.5m and is inclined at an angle
the top touches the ground is 8m. Find the height of 30° to the ground, whereas for elder children,
of the tree. she wants to have a steep slide at a height of 3m
Sol. & inclined at an angle of 60° to the ground. What
should be the length of the slide in each case?
Sol. P
P
A
A
3m

1.5m
30°
Q
B R
C 30º 60º
8m B M Q N

According to the contractor’s plan, 5. A kite is flying at a height of 60m above the
ground The string attached to the kite is
Age Height of Inclined
temporarily tied to a point on the ground The
Slide Angle
inclination of the string with the ground is 60°.
Less than 5 years 1.5m 30 degrees Find the length of the string, assuming that there
More than 5 years 3m 60 degrees is no slack in the string.
Sol. C
DABM & DPQN represents the situation for the
children less than 5years old and for children more
than 5 years old. 60 m
Let us suppose, AM is the slide which is inclined at
60°
30° and PN is the slide which is inclined at 60°.
B A
We need to find the length of AM and PN.
BC
In right ΔABM, sin 60° =
AC
AB 1 1.5  1 3 60
sin 30° = ⇒ =  sin 30° =  =
AM 2 AM  2 2 AC
\ AM = 3m
AC = 40 3 m
In right ΔPQN,
6. A 1.5m tall boy is standing at some distance from
PQ 3 3  3 a 30m tall building. The angle of elevation from
sin 60° = ⇒ =   sin 60° = 
PN 2 PN  2  his eyes to the top of the building increases from
30° to 60° as he walks towards the building. Find
⇒ PN = 2 3 m
the distance he walked towards the building.
Therefore, length of the slide for children (age
below 5 years) is 3m and length of the slide for Sol. A
elder children (age above 5 years) is 2 3 m.
4. The angle of elevation of the top of a tower from
a point on the ground, which is 30m away from
the foot of the tower is 30°. Find the height of the 30m
tower.
Sol. A 60° 30°
B D
C 1.5m
N L M

Let us suppose that the boy initially stand at point M

30° with inclination 30° and then he walks towards the
B 30 m C building to the point L where the inclination is 60°.
We need to find the distance boy walked towards
AB the building i.e. LM
tan 30°=
BC It is clear from the figure,
1 AB LM = CD and DM = BN
=
3 30 Height of the building = AN = 30m
AB = 10 3 m AB = AN – BN = 30 – 1.5 = 28.5m
Therefore, AB is equal to 28.5m

2 UDAAN Study Material Class-X PW

 Now in right angled ΔABD, AB + BC
3 =
AB 1 28.5  1  CD
tan 30° =
BD
⇒ =
BD
  tan 30° = 
3  3 AB + 20
3 =
\ BD = 28.5 3m 20
and in right angled ΔABC, 20 3 − 20 = AB
AB 28.5
tan 60° =
BC
⇒ 3 =
BC
 ( tan 60° = 3 ) AB = 20( 3 − 1) m

8. A statue, 1.6m tall, stands on the top of a

28.5 28.5 3 pedestal. From a point on the ground, the angle

⇒ BC = = m
3 3 of elevation of the top of the statue is 60° and
28.5 3 from the same point the angle of elevation of the
Hence, BC is equal to m.
3 top of the pedestal is 45°. Find the height of the

LM = CD = BD – BC pedestal.
 28.5 3  Sol. A
=  28.5 3 − 
 3 
 1 1.6m
= 28.5 3 1 − 
 3
2 57 B
= 28.5 3 × = = 19 3 m
3 3
Therefore, the distance covered by boy towards the 60°
building is 19 3 m . C 45° D

7. From a point on the ground, the angles of In right angled ∆BCD

elevation of the bottom and the top of a BC
transmission tower fixed at the top of a 20m high tan 45° =
CD
building are 45° and 60° respectively. Find the
BC
height of the tower. 1=
CD
Sol. A

BC = CD
In right angled ∆ACD
B AC
tan 60° =
CD
20 m AB + BC
3 =
60° CD
C 45° D
1.6 + BC
3 =
In right angled ∆BCD BC
BC 3 BC – BC = 1.6
tan 45° =
CD
BC( 3 – 1) = 1.6
CD = 20 m
1.6
In right angled ∆ACD BC =
3 −1
AC
tan 60° =
CD = 0.8( 3 + 1) m

Some Applications of Trigonometry 3

 9. The angle of elevation of the top of a building Sol. A C
from the foot of the tower is 30° and the angle of
elevation of the top of the tower from the foot of
the building is 60°. If the tower is 50m high, find
the height of the building.
Sol. Q 60° 30°
B D
O
80 m
Let AB = h meters, OD = x meters
AB = CD = h meters (given)
A BD = 80 m
50 m In right angled ∆ABO
AB
tan 60° =
BO
h
3 =
80 − x

30° 60° (80 – x) 3 = h

B
P
80 3 – x 3 = h …(i)
Let us suppose PQ be the height of the tower, AB
be the height of the building, BP be the distance In right angled ∆COD
between the foot of the building and the tower. CD
tan 30° =
In right angled ΔBPQ, OD
1 h
PQ 50
tan 60 =
BP
⇒ 3 =
BP
 (
 tan 60° = 3 ) 3
=
x
50 x
⇒ BP = m...(i) = h …(ii)
3 3
In right ΔABP, From (i) and (ii)

AB 1 AB x
tan 30° = ⇒ = 80 3 – x 3 =
BP 3 BP 3
80 × 3 – 3x = x
 1  240 = 4x
 tan 30° =  ...(ii)
 3
x = 60m
On putting value of equation (i) in (ii), we get
put x = 60m in eqn. (i)
50
AB = h = 20 3 m
3
50 BO = 20m and OD = 60m
Therefore, height of the building is m.
3 11. A TV tower stands vertically on a bank of a canal.
10. Two poles of equal heights are standing opposite From a point on the other bank directly opposite
each other on either side of the road which is 80m the tower, the angle of elevation of the top of the
wide. From a point between them on the road, tower is 60°. From another point 20m away from
the angles of elevation of the top of the poles this point on the line joining this point to the foot
are 60° and 30° respectively. Find the height of of the tower, the angle of elevation of the top of
the poles and the distance of the point from the the tower is 30° (see Fig.). Find the height of the
poles. tower and the width of the canal.

4 UDAAN Study Material Class-X PW

 P Sol. E

30° 60° Q
D C
20 m 60°
P D
Sol. Let us suppose PQ be the height of the tower. 45°

DC = 20m (given)
7m
In right angled ΔPQD,

PQ 1 PQ 45°
tan 30° = ⇒ = Q C
QD 3 (20 + QC )

Let us suppose PQ be the height of the building
 1  which is equal to 7m and EC be the height of the
 tan 30° =  tower.
 3
P is the point from where angle of elevation of
(20 + QC ) tower is 60° and the angle of depression of its foot

⇒ PQ = m ...(i)
3 is 45°.
Also, from figure it is clear that CD = PQ = 7m and
In right ΔPQC, QC = PD
We need to find the height of the tower i.e., EC
PQ PQ
tan 60° =
QC
⇒ 3 =
QC
 ( tan 60° = 3 ) In right angled ΔPQC,
PQ 7
tan 45° = ⇒1= ( tan 45° = 1)

⇒ PQ = 3 QC  ...(ii) QC QC

⇒ QC = 7m
On putting value of equation (ii) in (i), we get ⸪ QC = PD  [given]
(20 + QC ) Therefore, PD = 7m
3 QC = ⇒ 3QC = 20 + QC
3 Now, In right triangle PDE,
DE DE

⇒ 2QC = 20 ⇒ QC = 10m tan 60° =
PD
⇒ 3 =
7
 ( tan 60° = 3 )
Putting the value of QC in equation (ii), we get
⇒ DE = 7 3m

PQ = 10 3
Here, EC = DE + CD = (7 3 + 7)= 7( 3 + 1)

Therefore, the height of the tower is 10 3 m and Hence, the height of the tower is 7( 3 + 1) m.

13. As observed from the top of a 75m high

the width of the canal is 10m.
lighthouse from the sea-level, the angles of
12. From the top of a 7m high building, the angle depression of two ships are 30° and 45°. If one
of elevation of the top of a cable tower is 60° ship is exactly behind the other on the same side
and the angle of depression of its foot is 45°. of the lighthouse, find the distance between the
Determine the height of the tower. two ships.

Some Applications of Trigonometry 5

Sol. P
Let us suppose the initial position of the balloon be
E
30° P and final position be Q.
45° Height of balloon above the height of the girl.
= 88.2m – 1.2m = 87m
75 m
We need to find the distance travelled by the balloon
i.e., DE
⇒ DE = CE – CD
45° 30° In right angled ΔQEC,
Q D
C
QE 1 87  1 
Let us suppose PQ be the lighthouse of height 75m
⇒ tan 30° = ⇒ =   tan 30° = 
CE 3 CE  3
and C, D be the position of the ships.
The angles of depression of ships from the lighthouse ⇒ CE = 87 3 m...(i)

are 30° and 45°. In right angled ΔPDC,
We need to find the distance between two ships
PD 87
i.e., CD tan 60° =
CD
⇒ 3 =
CD
 ( tan 60° = 3 )
In right triangle PQC,
PQ 75 87
tan 45° = ⇒1= ( tan 45° = 1)
⇒ CD = = 29 3 ...(ii)
QC QC 3
⇒ QC = 75m ...(i) As, DE = CE – CD..(iii)
In right triangle PQD, On putting (i) and (ii) in (iii), we get
PQ 1 75  1  DE = (87 3 − 29 3) = 29 3(3 − 1) =
58 3 m
tan 30° = ⇒ =   tan 30° = 
QD 3 QD  3
Therefore, the distance travelled by the balloon is
⇒ QD = 75 3 ...(ii) 58 3 m.
Here, CD = QD – QC...(iii)
15. A straight highway leads to the foot of a tower.
On putting values of equation (i) and (ii) in (iii)
A man standing at the top of the tower observes
CD = (75 3 − 75)= 75( 3 − 1) a car at an angle of depression of 30°, which is
Therefore, the distance between the two ships is approaching the foot of the tower with a uniform
75( 3 − 1) m. speed Six seconds later, the angle of depression
14. A 1.2m tall girl spots a balloon moving with the of the car is found to be 60°. Find the time taken
wind in a horizontal line at a height of 88.2m from by the car to reach the foot of the tower from
the ground The angle of elevation of the balloon this point.
from the eyes of the girl at any instant is 60°.
Sol. P E
After some time, the angle of elevation reduces to 30°
60°
30° (see Fig). Find the distance travelled by the
balloon during the interval.
Sol.

60° 30°
Q C D

88.2m Let us suppose PQ be the height of the tower and

60° let the initial position of car be D and final position
30° be C. As man is standing at the top of the tower,
therefore angles of depression are measured from P.

6 UDAAN Study Material Class-X PW


QC is the distance from the foot of the tower to the Speed of the car to cover the distance BC in 6
car. seconds;
In right angled ΔPQC, CD Distance 

PQ PQ =  Speed = 
⇒ tan 60° =
QC
⇒ 3 =
QC
(
  tan 60° = 3 ) 6  Time 
2QC QC
⇒ PQ = 3QC ...(i) = =  [from (iii)]
6 3
In right angled ΔPQD, QC
Speed of the car = m/s
PQ 1 PQ  1  3
tan 30° = ⇒ =   tan 30° = 
QD 3 QD  3 Distance travelled by the car from point C, towards
QD the tower = QC
⇒ PQ = ...(ii)
3 QC
From equation (i) and (ii), we get Time to cover distance QC at the speed m/s
3
QD QC  Distance 
3 QC = ⇒ 3QC = QD = = 3 seconds  Time = 
3 QC  speed 

⇒ 2QC = CD  ...(iii) 3

Distance travelled by the car from the starting point \ Time taken by the car to reach the foot of the tower
towards the tower in 6 seconds = CD from point C is 3 seconds.

Some Applications of Trigonometry 7