Draw a right triangle, with point A the top of the vertical pole, point C the bottom of the vertical pole, and point B the place where the wire reaches the ground.
Angle C is a right angle. Angle B is 75°.
Side BC is the side adjacent to angle B and has a length of 10 ft.
Side AC is the height of the pole and is the side opposite angle B.
The tan function is defined to be the opposite side divided by the adjacent side.
tan(B) = AC / BC ---> tan(75°) = AC / 10 ---> AC = 10·tan(75°) = 37.3 ft.
The length of the wire is side AB, the hypotenuse of the triangle.
The cos function is defined to be the adjacent side divide by the hypotenuse.
cos(B) = BC / AB ---> cos(75°) = 10 / AB ---> AB = 10 / cos(75°) = 38.6 ft.