THE MATH OF INCLINED PLANES!
As I was saying...
Problem: 1 Man pushing a cylinder up a smooth inclined plane. The cylinder weighs 60 pounds.
The ratio of the triangle's height to its hypotenuse determines how much effort the man must exert to move
the cylinder up the plane at a uniform speed.
GIVEN #1: Distance rolled = 2 feet to a height of 1 foot.
EFFORT = 30 pounds or 1/2 of 60.
GIVEN #2: Distance rolled = 3 feet to a height of 1 foot.
EFFORT = 20 pounds or 1/3 of 60.
GIVEN #3: Distance rolled = 4 feet to a height of 1 foot.
EFFORT = 15 pounds or 1/4 of 60.
With an inclined plane---just as with a lever, pulley or wheel and axle---any DECREASE in FORCE
is accompanied by a RECIPROCAL in the DISTANCE.
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Copyright© 1996 by Richard Wright for PCS Education Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved