Trigonometry in real life ? Please Help :(?

Question

I need help with a homework task and i really have no idea where to start...

I have to create a real life situation problem that can be solved by using trig. I was thinking of doing a bridge construction or something similar to that

so if i did the bridge, would it be right if i worded it somthing like this:

a new bridge is being constructed. from the start of the road to the begining of the bridge is 5ms. At the edge of the bridge there is an arc that is Yms heigh. If the distance from the top of the arc to the begining of the road is 8ms, how heigh is the arc ?

thanks to any suggestions or ideas :) If you can think of something more creative (for somthing like this i have no creative bones in my body :P) please tell me :) thanks everyone

Answer 1

How about a lighthouse and a boat stranded at sea?

Let the lighthouse be say 300 feet high and the angle of elevation from the boat to the top of the lighthouse be 10 degrees.  How far from the shore (the lighthouse) is the boat??   (answer about 1700 feet)

ANSWER

Answer 2

Keep it simple !

Example

The angle of elevation of a tower from a point onn the ground is 20°.

The foot of the tower is 400 m from the point on the ground.

Calculate height of tower.

Let height be y m

tan 20° = y / 400

400 tan 20° = y

y = 146 m (to nearest m)

Answer 3

Do a ladder on a wall, thats how Pythagoras done it.