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SAT Math · Question of the Day

SAT Math Question of the Day

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Monday, September 21, 2026

A ramp rises 3 feet vertically over a horizontal run of 10 feet, forming a right triangle. What is the angle of elevation of the ramp, to the nearest degree?

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A ramp rises 3 feet vertically over a horizontal run of 10 feet, forming a right triangle. What is the angle of elevation of the ramp, to the nearest degree?

  1. 30∘30^\circ
  2. 17∘17^\circ (correct answer)
  3. 10∘10^\circ
  4. 73∘73^\circ

Explanation: We need to find the angle of elevation when the ramp rises 3 feet vertically over 10 feet horizontally. In this right triangle, we know the opposite side (3 feet) and adjacent side (10 feet) to the angle of elevation, so we use tangent: tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent = 3/10 = 0.3. Using inverse tangent: θ = arctan(0.3) ≈ 16.7°, which rounds to 17°. A common mistake is using sine or cosine, which would require knowing the hypotenuse. For angle of elevation problems with vertical rise and horizontal run, tangent is typically the most direct approach.