Q. 134 - Precalculus Enhanced with Graphing Utilities

Question

The term grade is used to describe the inclination of a road. How does this term relate to the notion of slope of a line? Is a 4% grade very steep? Investigate the grades of some mountainous roads and determine their slopes. Write a brief essay on your findings.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The amount of grade indicates how much the highway is inclined from the horizontal. For example, if a section of road is perfectly flat and level, then its grade along that section is zero. 4% grade is not very steep. 

Step 1: Given information

We are given that inclination of roads are also shown by grade

Step 2: Conclusion

The amount of grade indicates how much the highway is inclined from the horizontal. For example, if a section of road is perfectly flat and level, then its grade along that section is zero. However, if the section is very steep, then the grade along that section will be expressed as a number, usually a percentage, such as 10 percent.