How is slope calculated?

Question

I've seen slope written as degrees - 5 degrees, or as a per cent - 3%. These two are supposed to be the same angle of incline. How are the degrees or percentage determined?

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Answer 1

The slope written as a percentage is the total height of the vertical rise in feet, divided by the length of the horizontal run, in feet.

The slope in degrees is as follows:

Tangent of the angle = total vertical rise/total horiz. run
to get the angle look it up on a table of trigonometric functions for the value that you just determined for the Tangent of the angle.

Answer 2

Calculation of slope is really easy...For eg imagine that u are standing exactly on the sea level. Now u walk some distance and find that u are above sea level...so u have climbed up a slope...so now the slope is how much u are above the sea level divided by the distance u walked from the starting point to the point u stand now as measured along the sea level...for another eg...if u walk 4 m south and 3m east and u see the starting point..its definitely inclined along the north west so the slope of your view is 3/4 or 0.75 or 36.6degrees approx...or in percentage 0.75*100 = 75 % slope...

it can be best explained with diagrams ..but i think this would help u ....

Answer 3

It's all a bit obscure because even what sounds simple ,like say 1 in 6 could mean a vertical rise/fall of 1m in either 6 horizontal m or 6 along the road length: not the same are they?But in the normal run of things they are not different enough to need a different gear when driving or cycling.As for 5 degrees the sine mesurement and tangent measure ment would be the same to 4 significant figures and the same would apply even more accurately to 3 %.If it is important you could look at the definitions given on an O.S map.

Answer 4

X2 - X1 / Y2 - Y1 = M or slope