California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Math Practice Exam

In which situation would you use the angle of elevation?

1. When measuring the drop of a waterfall

2. When determining how high a drone is flying above ground

3. When looking straight at a flat object

4. When surveying a flat piece of land

The correct answer is: When determining how high a drone is flying above ground

The angle of elevation is the angle formed between the horizontal line and the line of sight to an object above the observer. In the context of determining how high a drone is flying above ground, using the angle of elevation is particularly relevant. As the observer looks up to visualize the drone in the sky, measuring the angle with respect to the horizontal allows one to calculate the height of the drone using trigonometric relationships. This scenario directly involves observing an object at a higher elevation than the observer’s current position. In contrast, the other situations do not involve an upward line of sight or angle considerations. For example, measuring the drop of a waterfall refers to vertical descent rather than elevation above the observer, looking straight at a flat object involves no elevation change, and surveying flat land means observing horizontal distances without elevation angles being necessary. Each of these situations is unrelated to measuring angles of elevation as they do not require determining how high an object is relative to the observer's line of sight.