How do you find the slope of a staircase? Just wondering. Please explain and give examples if necessary. Thank you!

Question

anonymous · Answer

Well, I'd guess the simple solution is standard rise/run. For example, the height of a single step divided by the width of a single step. Imagine you are looking at the staircase from the side.|dw:1367561860339:dw| If 3 takes the place of y, and 12 takes the place of x, the slope is m=12/3=4

lilai3 · Answer

uhm.. is it the slope here?
i'm not really sure i get this.. LOL... can you explain this... more...idk.. clearly... i don't really get it... LOL

lilai3 · Answer

and what if it was like.. 4 steps?

anonymous · Answer

Slope is defined as the difference in height of a line (rise) divided by the difference in length (run) in two dimensions. As long as the steps are uniform in size, the slope will not change. For every step 3 units tall and 12 units long, you will have gone up exactly 1/4  units in a diagonal alone the line. Also, I made a mistake earlier, with rise/run the slope should be m=3/12=1/4.

lilai3 · Answer

oh.but what if it was like.. a few more steps? would if have a difference or an impact on it?
and thanks for the explanation. i'm grateful (: !!!

anonymous · Answer

As long as the line is straight (not changing in any way along it's course), the number of steps will have no impact on the slope.

anonymous · Answer

Give me a moment, and I will type of a more concise example.

lilai3 · Answer

okay thanks

lilai3 · Answer

|dw:1367563148867:dw|

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1367563199089:dw| In this example, we have four points representing four steps. The line goes from point to point, straight up at a diagonal so as to connect the points. For and two points on this line, the slope m is equal to the change in y divided by the change in x. When working with slope, we start with the second point along the line, so if we take points A and B, we notice that y has changed by 2 units, and x has changed by 1 unit. Slope m=2/1=2 units. If we take points A and D, y has changed by 6 units and x has changed by 3 units. Slope m=6/3=2 units. No matter which two points we pick along that line to determine the slope, it will not change.

lilai3 · Answer

so it won't change no matter what?
but what if there was a line connecting the top stair and the bottom stair? which one is the slope then?