In Example 1, a formula is given for determining how far you can see from a given height....

In Example 1, a formula is given for determining how far you can see from a given height. Suppose you are on a cruise ship and that you can see the top of a lighthouse 12 miles away. About how high above water level are you?

EXAMPLE 1

Suppose you are located h feet above the ground. Because of the curvature of the earth, the maximum distance you can see is approximately d miles, where

How far can you see from the 500-foot-high Smith Tower in Seattle and from the

1454-foot-high Sears Tower in Chicago?

SOLUTION For the Smith Tower, substitute 500 for h in the formula, and use

your calculator:

For the Sears Tower, you can see almost 47 miles because