A flagstaff is placed on top of a building. The flagstaff and building subtend equal angles at a point on level ground which is 200 m away from the foot of the building. If the height of the flagstaff is 50 m and the height of the building is h, which of the following is true?
Let AD be the flagstaff and CD be the building.
Assume that the flagstaff and building subtend equal angles at point B.
Given that AD = 50 m, CD = h and BC = 200 m
Let $\angle$ABD = θ, $\angle$DBC = θ (∵ flagstaff and building subtend equal angles at a point on level ground).
Then, $\angle$ABC = 2θ
From the right $\triangle$ BCD,
tanθ=$\dfrac{DC}{BC}=\dfrac{h}{200}$ ⋯(eq:1)
From the right $\triangle$ BCA,
tan2θ=$\dfrac{AC}{BC}=\dfrac{AD + DC}{200}=\dfrac{50 + h}{200}$
⇒$\dfrac{2tanθ}{1−tan2θ}=\dfrac{50 + h}{200}$ (∵tan(2θ)=$\dfrac{2tanθ}{1−tan2θ}$)
⇒$\dfrac{2\left( \dfrac{h}{200}\right)}{1−\dfrac{h^{2}}{200^{2}}}=\dfrac{50 + h}{200}$(∵ substituted value of tan θ from eq:1)
⇒2h=$\left(1−\dfrac{h^{2}}{200^{2}}\right) $ (50 + h)
⇒2h=50+h−$\dfrac{50h^{2}}{200^{2}}−\dfrac{h^{3}}{200^{2}}$
⇒2(2002)h =50(200)2+h(200)2−50h2−h3
(∵ multiplied LHS and RHS by 2002)
⇒h3+50h2+(200)2h−50(200)2=0