In word problems on topics of trigonometry, the terms of angle of depression and angle of elevation are very common. The angle of depression is used when the observer is above the point of reference. The angle made from the observer to the object is the angle of depression. To understand more clearly, refer to the attached picture.
Suppose the dog is on the top vertex of the triangle while the cat is the rightmost corner of the triangle. The angle denoted as x° is the angle of depression. To determine this, we use the tangent function. The tangent of an angle is the ratio of its opposite side to its adjacent side.
tanx° = 16/4.5
x = 74.29°
