Grade

Ever since the first lesson in pre-algebra we have be taught about the importance of slope, the rise of a line over the run of a line. Many of us may ask ourselves when will we ever apply math in our day-to-day lives. Slope, or the grade, is one concept I believe applies to many things. While writing up a Lab Report it is important that we be able to find the slope of the line of best fit in the graph of our data. But even before we were introduced to any of these concepts and were still learning our multiplication tables, the grade of the ground was important to know, even if just by a qualitative observation. When learning to ride a bike with gears we were taught that when going up hill it was easiest to pedal if you are on a lower gear. Therefor, knowing how steep a hill was dictate what gear we would go into.  

While running on a treadmill one may have the option to change the incline in which one is running. The higher the incline, or grade, the more difficult the work out. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a ramp may make the work someone does much easier. For instance, if a delivery man was to drop off 100 boxes, each 35 pounds, into a store 5 feet off the ground, it would be easier on his body, specifically his knees, to use a ramp rather than stairs. The ramp would spread the inclination over a longer distance than the stairs, ultimately taking the man longer to complete his work, but saving his body some pain. Slope, grades, inclination, etc... can make our lives both more difficult or easier.