Question

Which is steeper, a ramp that rises 4 feet for every 7 feet of run, or a slide that rises 5 feet for every 8 feet of run? Explain.

a) The ramp is steeper.
b) The slide is steeper.
c) Both have the same steepness.
d) Insufficient information to determine.

Answer 1

After comparing the slopes of the ramp and the slide, which are 4/7 and 5/8 respectively, it's determined that the b) slide's slope is steeper since 5/8 (0.625) is greater than 4/7 (0.5714).

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which is steeper between a ramp that rises 4 feet for every 7 feet of run and a slide that rises 5 feet for every 8 feet of run, we need to compare the slope of each. Slope is calculated as the ratio of the rise to the run. For the ramp, the slope is · (4 feet rise / 7 feet run), and for the slide, it is · (5 feet rise / 8 feet run).

Converting these to decimals for easier comparison:

• Ramp slope = 4/7 ≈ 0.5714
• Slide slope = 5/8 ≈ 0.625

Comparing the two slopes, 0.625 is greater than 0.5714, meaning the slide's slope is steeper. Therefore, the correct answer is:b) The slide is steeper.