A pilot flying at an altitude of 3500 feet sees a baseball field at an angle of depression on 35 degrees. what is the pilot's approximate horizontal distance, x, from the baseball field at this point? round your answer to the nearest foot.

3500/x = tan 35°

60

To find the pilot's approximate horizontal distance from the baseball field, we can use trigonometry. We'll need to use the tangent function because we have an angle of depression.

1. Draw a diagram: Draw a right triangle with the vertical side representing the altitude of 3500 feet, the horizontal side representing the horizontal distance "x," and the angle of depression of 35 degrees.

|
|
x |\
| \
| \
| \ 3500 ft
| \
|________\

2. Identify the triangle: In this case, we have an angle and the opposite side (3500 ft), and we need to find the adjacent side (x).

3. Use the tangent function: The tangent of an angle is equal to the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side.

tan(35 degrees) = 3500 ft / x

4. Solve for x: Rearrange the equation to solve for x.

x = 3500 ft / tan(35 degrees)

5. Calculate x: Plug the values into a calculator.

x ≈ 3500 ft / tan(35 degrees) ≈ 5782 ft

Therefore, the pilot's approximate horizontal distance, x, from the baseball field at this point is approximately 5782 feet (rounded to the nearest foot).