A ladder is resting against an outside wall of a building. The ladder is extended 23 feet, and reaches a distance of 17 feet up the wall.
Using the inverse of sine, what is the angle of elevation formed where the base of the ladder rests on the ground? Round your answer to the nearest whole degree.
The angle of elevation can be found using the inverse sine function. The sine of an angle is equal to the opposite side (17 feet) divided by the hypotenuse (23 feet). Therefore, sin(x) = 17/23.
To find the angle, we take the inverse sine of both sides.
x = arcsin(17/23)
Using a calculator, the arcsin(17/23) is approximately 42.5 degrees.
Rounding to the nearest whole degree, the angle of elevation is 43 degrees.