Question
A tree breaks due to storm and the broken part bends so that the top of the tree touches the ground making an angle 30° with it. The distance between the foot of the tree to the point where the top touches the ground is 8 m. Find the height of the tree.
Solution
Let BD be the tree broken at point C such that the broken part CD takes the position CA and strikes the ground at A. It is given that AB = 8 m and ∠BAC = 30°.
Let BC = x metres and CD = CA = y metres
In right triangle ABC, we have
Now, height of the tree
Hence, the height of the tree