What is the method to find the angle of elevation?

To find the angle of elevation, use trigonometric ratios, specifically the tangent function: tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent.

The angle of elevation is the angle between the horizontal line and the line of sight to an object above the horizontal. To find this angle, you can use trigonometric ratios, which are part of right-angled triangle calculations. The most commonly used ratio for this purpose is the tangent (tan) function.

In a right-angled triangle, the tangent of an angle (θ) is the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle. Mathematically, this is expressed as tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent.

For example, if you know the height of a building (opposite side) and the distance from the building (adjacent side), you can find the angle of elevation by rearranging the formula to θ = tan⁻¹(opposite/adjacent). You would then use a calculator to find the inverse tangent (tan⁻¹) of the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side.

Let's say you are standing 50 metres away from a building, and the building is 30 metres tall. The angle of elevation (θ) can be found by calculating tan⁻¹(30/50). Using a calculator, you would find that θ ≈ 30.96 degrees. This is the angle of elevation from your position to the top of the building.