NavGanitMateby NavGreen Compute, AustraliaBased on Australian Curriculum: Mathematics v9.0
← Back to practice

Trigonometry, bearings and elevation

Wide tables scroll horizontally. For detailed working, you may prefer a larger screen.

Required skills (click to reveal)

A school in Perth is ordering new science equipment. The delivery truck must travel 44 m east and then 33 m north to reach the school's loading bay.

A student on the roof of the school building, located directly above the loading bay, observes the truck at an angle of elevation of 30 degrees from the ground. Using trigonometry and the given distances, determine the exact height of the student's observation point above the ground in metres.

The answer must be given as an exact expression involving a radical or fraction, not a decimal.

Concept illustrations

These are separate worked examples of related concepts, not a diagram of this question. Their values and dimensions do not describe your question.

Choose the angle before naming sides. For angle θ at the lower-right vertex, opposite = 3, adjacent = 4 and hypotenuse = 5. Therefore sin θ = 3/5. The triangle is right-angled.opp. 3adj. 4hyp. 5θsin θ = 3/5
For angle θ at the lower-right vertex, opposite = 3, adjacent = 4 and hypotenuse = 5. Therefore sin θ = 3/5. The triangle is right-angled.
Bearings are clockwise from north. The route makes a 060° clockwise turn from north. The opposite route has bearing 240°. Compass directions are shown; the diagram is schematic.NESW060°240°
The route makes a 060° clockwise turn from north. The opposite route has bearing 240°. Compass directions are shown; the diagram is schematic.

Press Start when ready. Time includes time spent in another tab. Submit your answer before opening a help panel for a timed rank.

00:00
0 wordsOnly your numerical final answer or selected MCQ option is checked. Scratch working is not graded.

Report a problem or suggest an improvement

My notes — optional, not graded 0 words

Notes and scratch working stay in this browser and are linked to this question version. They are not graded or included in feedback. On shared devices, other people using this browser may see them.

For this question only. Your full notebook is on the dashboard.

Notes save in this browser. Download a copy to keep them elsewhere.

Report a problem or suggest an improvement

Your observations help improve this question. You can report an issue or recommend a better explanation, visual or experience.

0 words

The report includes your message and question/version details. Saved profile details, answers, notes and attempt history are not automatically attached. Leave out names and contact details, and check screenshots for personal information and embedded metadata.

Attachments may contain personal information. Review them before sharing. Logs collect only event codes and timestamps after you enable them. Download the ZIP to keep a copy, then attach it to an email if you choose.

Formula and explanation (click to reveal)

Opening this before your first submission makes the attempt practice only.

Formula

Explanation

Worked solution and answer (click to reveal)

Opening this before your first submission makes the attempt practice only.

Worked solution

  1. The truck travels 44 m east and 33 m north, forming a right-angled triangle with the ground. The student is directly above the loading bay, so the horizontal distance from the student's vertical line to the truck is the hypotenuse of the east-north legs.
  2. Calculate the horizontal distance from the student's observation point to the truck using Pythagoras’ theorem: d = sqrt(44^2 + 33^2).
  3. Compute 44 squared: 44^2 = 1936.
  4. Compute 33 squared: 33^2 = 1089.
  5. Add the squares: 1936 + 1089 = 3025.
  6. Take the square root of 3025: sqrt(3025) = 55. This is the straight-line distance from the student to the truck.
  7. The angle of elevation from the ground to the student is 30 degrees. This forms a right-angled triangle with the horizontal distance (55 m) as the adjacent side and the height (h) as the opposite side.
  8. Use the tangent function: tan(30°) = opposite / adjacent = h / 55.
  9. Substitute tan(30°) = 1/sqrt(3): h = 55 * (1/sqrt(3)).
  10. Rationalise the denominator: h = 55 * sqrt(3) / 3.
  11. The height is exactly 55*sqrt(3)/3 metres. This is the exact expression required.
  12. Check: tan(30°) ≈ 0.577, 55 * 0.577 ≈ 31.74, and 55*sqrt(3)/3 ≈ 55*1.732/3 ≈ 31.74. The value is consistent.

Reference answer: 55*sqrt(3)/3 m

Alternative methods (click to reveal)

Shortcuts are shown only when applicable. Check the conditions before using one.

Earlier attempts for this question

#Date / timeYour answerResultSecondsHelp revealedRank
History stays in this browser when storage is available. Export it to your shared Drive folder and import it on another computer.
Worksheet details

Naming pattern: Topic_Grade_Complexity_YYYYMMDD_HH24MISS.html

Validation compares your answer with the generated reference. The model's reference can be wrong. Time ranks use an estimated student solving time, not a measured benchmark or a comparison with other students. An incorrect answer receives no speed rank.

NavGanitMate privacy & saved work

Saved in this browser. Your profile preferences, answers, practice history and notes are stored here when browser storage is available. They are not automatically uploaded to our servers. People sharing this browser may see saved work; changing the learner name does not create a separate private account. A nickname is enough.

Keep copies of important work. Clearing browser data, private browsing or changing browser or device can mean losing saved work. Download notes and export history separately. Downloads are copies of the selected content, not a complete account backup; not every format can be imported to restore your work. Keep these files somewhere private.

Visiting the website. Cloudflare helps deliver and protect this site and processes connection information such as IP addresses and requested pages. Server error logs may also contain request details. Security features may use cookies. This is separate from your browser-saved learning records. Cloudflare privacy information.

A parent-connection reminder uses a local list of up to five completed question IDs for this browser profile and a tab-session dismissal marker. Reminder activity is not uploaded and practice remains available.

Sharing feedback is your choice. A report includes your message and question/version details. Your saved profile, answers and notes are not automatically attached. Files you select can reveal personal details or contain embedded metadata: check and redact them before sharing. Diagnostic event codes and timestamps are included only after you enable logging. Sending email shares your message and attachments with the recipient and email providers. A download alone sends nothing to us. Website feedback delivery may be unavailable; only a confirmed receipt indicates it was received.