From the top of a 7 m high building, the angle of elevation of the top of a cable tower is 60 degrees and the angle of depression of its foot is 45 degrees. Determine the height of the tower.

Answer: The height of the tower is 7(1+3) m7(1 + \sqrt{3})\text{ m}.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Define variables and set up the first triangle

Let ABAB be the building of height 7 m. Let CDCD be the cable tower of height HH. Let BCBC be the distance between the building and the tower. From point AA, the angle of elevation to the top of the tower (DD) is 60∘60^\circ, and the angle of depression to the foot of the tower (CC) is 45∘45^\circ. We draw a line AEAE parallel to BCBC. Thus, AE=BCAE = BC and EC=AB=7EC = AB = 7 m. We need to find the total height of the tower, H=CD=CE+ED=7+hH = CD = CE + ED = 7 + h, where h=EDh = ED.

Step 2: Calculate the distance to the tower using the angle of depression

Consider the right-angled triangle △ABC\triangle ABC. The angle of depression from AA to CC is 45∘45^\circ. Since AE∥BCAE \parallel BC, the alternate interior angle ∠ACB\angle ACB is also 45∘45^\circ. Using the tangent function in △ABC\triangle ABC, we have tan⁡45∘=ABBC\tan 45^\circ = \frac{AB}{BC}. Since AB=7AB = 7 m and tan⁡45∘=1\tan 45^\circ = 1, we find that BC=7BC = 7 m. Also, AE=BC=7AE = BC = 7 m.

Step 3: Calculate the height of the tower above the building

Now consider the right-angled triangle △AED\triangle AED. The angle of elevation from AA to DD is 60∘60^\circ. We know AE=7AE = 7 m from the previous step. Using the tangent function, tan⁡60∘=EDAE\tan 60^\circ = \frac{ED}{AE}. Since tan⁡60∘=3\tan 60^\circ = \sqrt{3}, we can find h=EDh = ED.

Step 4: Determine the total height of the tower

The total height of the cable tower CDCD is the sum of CECE and EDED. We know CE=7CE = 7 m and we just calculated ED=h=73ED = h = 7\sqrt{3} m. Substitute these values to find the total height HH.

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