Distance Word Problems

Solve for the missing distance.

• 18.9

• 19.5

• 47

• 27.5

Susan is flying a kite, which gets caught in the top of a tree.  Use the diagram to estimate the height of the tree. 

• 63 ft

• 65 ft

• 74 ft

• 87 ft

A yacht is anchored 90 feet offshore from the base of a lighthouse.  The angle of elevation from the boat to the top of the lighthouse is 26 degrees.  The distance between the yacht and the top of the lighthouse is about 100 feet.  Which of these is closest to the height of the lighthouse? 

• 25 feet

• 45 feet 

• 110 feet 

• 135 feet 

A tourist views a deer from a height of 45 feet. The horizontal distance between the tourist and the deer is 130 feet. How many degrees should the tourist tilt his camera down to photograph the deer? Round your answer to the nearest degree.

• 19 degrees

• 45 degrees

• 71 degrees

• 138 degrees

Multi-step: What is the distance from the tree to the building, rounded to the nearest tenths place?

• 8.6 ft

• 18.6 ft

• 16.7 ft

• 10 ft

Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

• 36.9^°

• 31.0^°

• 59.0^°

• 53.1^°

A power line stretches from the top of a building to the ground. The power line is 100 ft. long and the building is 50 ft. tall. What is the horizontal distance from the end of the power line to the building? 

• 220.3 ft. 

• 100 ft.

• 86.6 ft. 

• 73.8 ft. 

A plane flying at 2000 ft altitude begins a 25 degree angle of descent to land. What is the distance along the ground the plane will travel before it lands?

• 4289 ft

• 932.6 ft

• 845.2 ft

• 4732.4 ft

Jake is 6 ft. tall. He is standing outside when the angle of elevation of the sun is 28 degrees. How long would his shadow be? 

• 5.3 feet

• 2.8 feet

• 3.2 feet

• 11.3 feet

The helicopter is hovering at a height of 550 feet above sea level. The submarine is directly below at a depth of 300 feet below sea level. What is the distance between the two.