EQ: WHAT ARE ANGLES OF ELEVATION

AND DEPRESSION?
TOPIC: TRIGONOMETRY
ANGLES OF ELEVATION

These angles are the angles you are used to seeing in

trigonometry. They sit in the corner of a triangle.

NOTES: Angles of Elevation are created by

looking up at the object.
DIAGRAM:
ANGLES OF DEPRESSION
Angles of depression are alternate angles to angles of
elevation. They sit outside the triangle.

NOTES: Angles of depression are created by

looking down at an object. They are alternate
to angles of elevation and therefore the same
size.
DIAGRAM:
TOGETHER:

Together, they
sit on parallel
lines and are
ALTERNATE
angles.
WORKED EXAMPLE 1:

A squirrel sits on the forest

floor and looks up at an
acorn at the top of a tree.
If he looks up at an angle
of 25° and sits 20m from
the base of the tree, how
tall is the tree?
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have

one)
2. Label your sides
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use 25°
inverse trig function on calculator 20m
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have

one)
2. Label your sides
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use 25°
inverse trig function on calculator 20m
WORKED EXAMPLE 2:

A man standing on a cliff sees

a boat at an angle of
depression of 34°. If the cliff
is 50m tall, how far from the
cliff is the boat?
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have 34° 𝜃

one)
2. Label your sides
50m
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
𝑥
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use
inverse trig function on calculator
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have 34° 𝜃

one)
2. Label your sides
50m
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
𝑥
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use
inverse trig function on calculator
WORKED EXAMPLE 3:

Socks sits on the table, 1.5m

tall. If Beth looks up at her,
sitting 3m from the table, what
angle of elevation is she looking
at?
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have

one)
2. Label your sides
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use
inverse trig function on calculator
REMEMBER THE STEPS

1. Draw a diagram (if you don’t have

one)
2. Label your sides
3. Identify correct ratio
4. Put info from question into ratio

1.5m
5. i) If unknown is on top, multiply
ii) If unknown is on bottom, divide
iii) If unknown is the angle, use
𝜃
inverse trig function on calculator
3m