Angle of elevation — Geometry, what it means and where it is taught
The angle up from horizontal to a line of sight.
Taught in Geometry.
Where it is taught
Practise this idea
2 questions in the course bank use Angle of elevation, in Right Triangle Trigonometry.
Problem 1
A ramp rises 1.5 m over a run of 9 m. Find the angle of elevation to one decimal place.
Worked answer
9.5
tan θ = 1.59 = 0.1667
θ ≈ 9.5°
Problem 2
From a point 30 m from a tower, the angle of elevation to the top is 52°. Find the tower height to the nearest metre.
Worked answer
38
tan 52° = h30
h = 30 × 1.2799 ≈ 38 m