• For this problem, you must set up the trigonometric equation that features tangent, because the opposite side is the length of the tower, the hypotenuse is the wire, and the adjacent side is what you need to find. You get

    image3.png

  • Solve for the unknown.

    Multiply both sides by the unknown x to get x tan 80 degrees = 39.

    Divide both sides by the tan 80 degrees to get

    image4.png

    Simplify to get

    image5.png

    The wire attaches to the ground about 6.88 metres from the base of the tower to form the 80-degree angle.

Source: dummies.com