College

Find [tex] A [/tex], in degrees, if [tex] \tan(A) = \frac{5}{7} [/tex]. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

A. 81.4 degrees
B. 35.5 degrees
C. 43.9 degrees
D. 22.1 degrees

Answer :

To find the angle [tex]\( A \)[/tex] in degrees when [tex]\(\tan(A) = \frac{5}{7}\)[/tex], follow these steps:

1. Understand the Problem: We need to find an angle [tex]\( A \)[/tex] such that the tangent of the angle is the fraction [tex]\(\frac{5}{7}\)[/tex].

2. Use Inverse Tangent Function: To find the angle, we use the inverse tangent function, often written as [tex]\(\arctan\)[/tex] or [tex]\(\tan^{-1}\)[/tex]. This function gives us the angle whose tangent is a given number. So, we calculate [tex]\( A = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{5}{7}\right) \)[/tex].

3. Convert the Angle to Degrees: The inverse tangent function typically returns the angle in radians. To convert this to degrees, we use the conversion factor: [tex]\(1 \text{ radian} = 57.2958 \text{ degrees}\)[/tex].

4. Calculate the Angle in Degrees: After calculating [tex]\( \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{5}{7}\right) \)[/tex], you convert the result from radians to degrees to get approximately 35.5 degrees.

5. Round to the Nearest Tenth: The angle, when rounded to the nearest tenth of a degree, is 35.5 degrees.

Thus, the angle [tex]\( A \)[/tex] that satisfies the condition [tex]\(\tan(A) = \frac{5}{7}\)[/tex] is approximately 35.5 degrees. The closest answer choice is 35.5 degrees, which confirms that our calculations are correct.