Gradients

And how to measure them

Gradients
How do we measure gradients?

Gradient is 2
Can you work out how each of these
ways of identifying a gradient is
measured?
What do you think is the steepest
gradient a road could be and still be
usable?
Hardknott Pass in Cumbria
The steepest road in Britain.
Equivalent to a mathematical
gradient of 0.3
 How we do it in Maths
1 in 4 is the same as a gradient of ¼ which is the same as 25%

We are interested in the ¼ as this is how we do it in maths.

On the road we say we go up one (metre) for every four we go across

In Maths we say we for every one across, we go up one quarter

How we do it in Maths
Gradient is calculated by dividing

change in y
change in x

3 4
Gradient  1 Gradient  1
3 2

3 5
Gradient   0.6 Gradient   1 23
5 3