Inclined plane is a simple machine; with the help of it a heavy body can he lifted by sliding it rather than raising the body vertically. An inclined plane is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load.
The work can he done quite easily by using an inclined plane, so to ascend a high bridge the road is made slanting and to reach the top floor of a building the staircases are made inclined instead of making them vertical. To raise a body by sliding over an inclined plane, although the distance traversed by the body is more but it requires a small Amount of force. To understand this we are to know mechanical efficiency. The mechanical efficiency of an inclined plane is:
mechanical efficiency = load (weight)/force
= (length of the inclined plane/height of the inclined plane)
From this equation it can be understood that to raise a body over the same height the more the length of the inclined plane increases, the more mechanical efficiency is availed.
Some examples of inclined planes include wheelchair ramps, airplane evaluation slides and various loading ramps used on trucks.
