Triangles: Height and Angle

Date: 4/12/96 at 4:9:1
From: Linda Gangi
Subject: Try this one

A tree casts a shadow 30 ft and makes an angle of 47 degrees with 
the ground. How high is the tree?... Show all work.

Date: 4/14/96 at 1:1:14
From: Doctor Sebastien
Subject: Re: Try this one

Hello.

The shadow is 37ft long and the angle is 47 degrees.  Let's draw a 
picture to show the situation:

Tree:
|\
| \
|  \
|   \
| 47 \
|___(_\
  37ft

Let the tree have a length of x ft.
You can easily use the fact that tan 47 = x/37 to find x.

-Doctor Sebastien,  The Math Forum