Rise Over Run

Algebra 1 · Axiom Academy

Rise Over Run: Building with Slope From wheelchair ramps to roof pitches, slope is rise over run — and the math keeps buildings safe and accessible. A doorway sits 3 feet above the sidewalk and needs a wheelchair ramp. How steep is too steep? The ADA says a ramp may rise at most 1 foot for every 12 feet it runs — a slope of: Steeper or gentler — drag the ramp The rise is locked at 3 ft. Stretch the run longer and the ramp lies down gentle; pull it shorter and it rears up steep. Watch the slope rise ÷ run change, and find where it slips under the ADA's 1-in-12 ceiling. The roof next door — pitch is rise over run too Builders call a roof's steepness its pitch : inches of rise for every 12 inches of run, written like "6 in 12." Drag the roof taller and watch the pitch — and its decimal slope — climb. Same rise ÷ run , a brand-new triangle. One idea, every incline: slope = rise ÷ run . A bigger number means steeper; the ADA caps a ramp at 1/12 , so a 3 ft rise needs at least 36 ft of run to be safe. The very same rise-over-run sets a roof's pitch , a road's grade , and the rise of a flight of stairs .

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