1. **State the problem:** You are standing on a footbridge 12 feet above a lake, and you see a duck 7 feet horizontally away from the base of the footbridge. We need to find the angle of elevation from the duck to where you are standing. 2. **Identify the right triangle:** The vertical leg is 12 feet (height of the footbridge), and the horizontal leg is 7 feet (distance from the duck to the base). 3. **Formula:** The angle of elevation $\theta$ can be found using the tangent function: $$\tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} = \frac{12}{7}$$ 4. **Calculate the angle:** $$\theta = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{12}{7}\right)$$ 5. **Evaluate:** Using a calculator, $$\theta \approx \tan^{-1}(1.7142857) \approx 59.0^\circ$$ 6. **Answer:** The angle of elevation from the duck to where you are standing is about **59.0°**.