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  1. triangle with left angle being 2 degrees and length of right side being 50 meters
    A full-sized glider has a glide angle of 2 degrees. If it loses 50 meters of altitude, how far would it move horizontally?
    Tan 2o = 50/x
    Therefore, x = 50/Tan 2o = 1432 m

  2. triangle with A at left angle, one being the value of the right side, and twelve being the value of the bottom side
    A model glider moves horizontally 12 meters for every meter of altitude it loses. What is it's glide angle?
    Tan A = 1/12
    Therefore, LA = 4.8o

  3. triangle with 5 degrees being the value of the left angle, X being the value of the right side, and 23 being the value of the bottom side
    A model glider has a glide angle of 5 degrees. If it flies 23 meters horizontally, how much altitude will it lose? 
    Tan 5o = X/23
    X = 23 (Tan 5o) = 2 m

  4. triangle with five degrees being the value of the left angle, 300 being the value of the right side, and X being the value of the bottom side
    A full-sized glider has a glide angle of 5 degrees. If the altitude is 300 meters, will the glider make it to an airport 4,000 meters away?
    Tan 5o = 300/X
    X= 300/Tan 5o = 3,429 m (    Note: Will not make it to the airport 4,000 m away.)

  5. triangle with A being the value of the left angle, 2 being the value of the right side and 38 being the value of the bottom side
    A full-sized glider loses 2 meters for every 38 meters it travels horizontally. What is it's glide angle?
    Tan LA = 2/38
    Therefore, LA = 3.0o

  6. triangle with A being the value of the left angle, 5 being the value of the right side, and 57 being the value of the bottom side
    A model glider travels 57 meters horizontally after losing 5 meters of altitude. What is it's glide angle?
    Tan LA = 5/57
    Therefore, LA = 5.0o

  7. triangle with four degrees being the value of the left angle, 3 being the value of the right side, and X being the value of the bottom side
    A model glider loses 3 meters of altitude. If it has a glide angle of 4 degrees, how far did the glider travel horizontally?
    Tan 4o = 3/X
    X = 3/Tan 4o
    X = 42.9 m

  8. triangle with three degrees being the value of the left angle, X being the value of the right side, and 10,000 being the value of the bottom side
    A full-sized glider lands 10,000 meters horizontally from where it began its downward diagonal path. If the glide angle is 3 degrees, what was the glider's altitude?
    Tan 3o = X/10,000
    X = (10,000)(Tan 3o)
    X = 524 m

  9. triangle with A being the value of the left angle, 22 meters being the value of the top side, 2 being the value of the right side, and X being the value of the bottom side
  10. A model glider has an average velocity of 2.2 m/s along it's downward diagonal path. After 10 seconds, the glider has lost 2 meters of altitude. What is the glider's glide angle and how far horizontally did it travel?
    d = Vt (Note: a = 0)
    d = (2.2)(10) = 22 m (hyp)
    Sin LA = 2/22
    Therefore, LA = 5.2o
    222 = 22 + X2
    X = sq. root of (222 - 22) = 21.9 m

  11. triangle with four degrees being the value of the left angle, 4,320 meters being the value of the top side, A being the value of the right side, and D being the value of the bottom side
    A full-sized glider has a velocity of 36 m/s along it's downward diagonal path. If it has a glide angle of 4 degrees, how much altitude will it lose in 2 minutes? How far will it travel horizontally in that 2 minutes?
    d = Vt (Note: a = 0)
    d = 36 (120s) = 4,320 m
    Sin 4o = a/4320
    a = (4320)(Sin 4) = 301 m
    Cos 4o = d/4320
    Therefore, d = (4320)(Cos 4) = 4,309 m
Please send any comments to:
Curator: Tom.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
Responsible Official: Kathy.Zona@grc.nasa.gov