If an incline has a difference in height from one end to the other of 17.8 cm and has a length along the incline of 1.19 m, what is the angle that the incline makes with the horizontal reference surface?

Physics - Damon, Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 5:20pm
cos (angle) = .178/1.19

Physics - Christina, Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 5:39pm
So the answer is 81.4? My online homework says that it is wrong?

Sorry, sin not cos

opposite / hypotenuse = sin

8.60 degrees

To find the angle that the incline makes with the horizontal reference surface, you need to use trigonometry. In this case, you can use the cosine function to calculate the angle. The formula for cosine is:

cos(angle) = adjacent side / hypotenuse

In this scenario, the adjacent side is the height difference of the incline, which is 17.8 cm. The hypotenuse is the length along the incline, which is 1.19 m (or 119 cm).

Plugging the values into the formula, you get:

cos(angle) = 17.8 cm / 119 cm

To find the actual angle, you need to take the inverse cosine or cos^-1 of the ratio. Most calculators have a cos^-1 function that you can use.

Once you have calculated the inverse cosine, you will get the angle that the incline makes with the horizontal reference surface.

In the given example, you mentioned that you obtained an angle of 81.4 degrees. However, without knowing the specific requirements of the online homework or any other context, it is difficult to determine why it might be marked incorrect. Consider double-checking your calculations or requirements specified in the problem.