A trucker is looking on a map of two roads he could take to get to Nelson. One has a grade of 20% and the other has an elevation of 15 degrees. Which road would be steeper?
How do I figure this out?
20
thank you
To figure out which road is steeper, we need to compare the percentages and angles given for each road. In this case, we have a grade of 20% for one road and an elevation of 15 degrees for the other road.
To determine the steepness based on percentage, we can interpret a 20% grade as a rise of 20 units for every 100 units of horizontal distance traveled. This means that for every 100 meters or 100 miles covered on the road, the elevation rises 20 meters or 20 miles.
Alternatively, when considering the elevation given in degrees, we can visualize this as the angle between the road and the horizontal surface. A 15-degree angle implies that the road rises 15 units vertically for every 100 units traveled horizontally.
Now, comparing the two measurements, we can see that a 20% grade implies a steeper road compared to a 15-degree elevation angle. This is because a 20% grade indicates a steeper vertical rise over the same horizontal distance as a 15-degree elevation angle.
In conclusion, based on the provided measurements, the road with a grade of 20% will be steeper than the road with an elevation of 15 degrees.