16Hit1600
Geometry and TrigonometryMediumHorizontal distance from a slope length and angle

Geometry and Trigonometry practice question

A slide is 16 metres long and makes a 60° angle with the ground. How many metres of ground does the slide cover horizontally?

Answer: 8

The horizontal run is adjacent to the 60° angle: 16 cos 60° = 16 × 1/2 = 8.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 32
32 divides 16 by cos 60° instead of multiplying.
If you answered 13.9
13.9 is 16 sin 60°, the HEIGHT of the slide's top.
If you answered 27.7
27.7 is 16 tan 60°, which would need 16 to be the run.

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