Question

An escalator at a shopping center is 200 ft long and has a vertical rise of 52 feet.What is the measure of the angle formed by the escalator and the ground? Round to the nearest degree

Answer 1

A right triangle is made, with measure:

From definition:

sin(α) = opposite/hypotenuse

From the picture: opposite to α is side of 52 long and the hypotenuse is 200 ft long. Then:

sin(α) = 52/200

sin(α) = 0.26

α = arcsin(0.26)

α = 15°