a 15-foot telephone pole has a wire that extends from the top of the pole to the ground. The wire and the ground form a 42 degree angle. How long is the wire, and what is the distance from the base of the pole to the spot where the wire touches the ground.

The length of the wire is 22.42 feet

The distance from the base of the pole to the spot where the wire touches the ground is 16.66 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

* Lets explain the situation in the problem

- The telephone pole, the wire and the ground formed a right triangle

- The wire is the hypotenuse of the triangle

- The height of the telephone pole and the distance from the base of

the pole to the spot where the wire touches the ground are the legs

of the triangle

- The angle between the wire and the ground is 42°

- The angle 42° is opposite to the height of the telephone pole

- The height of the telephone pole is 15 feet

* Lets use the trigonometry functions to find the length of the wire

(hypotenuse) and the distance from the base of the pole to the spot

where the wire touches the ground

∵ sin Ф = opposite/hypotenuse

∵ Ф = 42° and its opposite side = 15 feet

∴ sin 42 = 15/hypotenuse ⇒ by using cross multiplication

∴ sin 42° (hypotenuse) = 15 ⇒ divide both sides by sin 42

∴ hypotenuse = 15/sin 42° = 22.42 feet

∵ The length of the wire is the hypotenuse

∴ The length of the wire is 22.42 feet

∵ The distance from the base of the pole to the spot where the wire

touches the ground is the adjacent side to the angle 42°

∵ tan Ф = opposite/adjacent

∴ tan 42° = 15/adjacent ⇒ by using cross multiplication

∴ tan 42° (adjacent) = 15 ⇒ divide both sides by sin 42

∴ adjacent = 15/tan 42° = 16.66 feet

∵ The adjacent side is the distance from the base of the pole to the

spot where the wire touches the ground

∴ The distance from the base of the pole to the spot where the wire

touches the ground is 16.66 feet