How to Calculate the Length of a Springboard in Gymnastics

What is the length of the springboard used in Eric's gymnastics class?

a) 24.53 in.

b) 23.96 in.

c) 21.36 in.

d) 22.15 in.

Final Answer:

The length of the springboard can be found using the cosine of the given 14.5° angle and the coil size as the opposite side, which results in a springboard length of approximately 22.15 inches.

Are you curious about how to determine the length of a springboard in gymnastics? Well, let's dive into the calculation!

Firstly, we know that the springboard has 6-inch coils and forms an angle of 14.5° with the base. To find the length of the springboard, we can use trigonometry, specifically the cosine function.

The cosine of an angle in a right-angled triangle is equal to the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse. In this case, the angle is 14.5° and the adjacent side is the length of the springboard we want to find. The coil size of 6 inches is equivalent to the opposite side.

By applying the formula cos(14.5°) = adjacent / hypotenuse and substituting the values, we can calculate the length of the springboard. After the calculation, we determine that the springboard is approximately 22.15 inches long, matching one of the answer choices provided.