The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that wheelchair ramps have a slope no greater than \(\frac{1}{12}\). What is the minimum horizontal length a 2-foot high ramp can have?
Answer (2)
The "slope" means how far you rise when you travel 1 unit horizontally. "Steeper" means you rise higher for each horizontal distance ... more slope. A slope of 1/12 means 12 horizontal units raise you one unit higher. 12 horizontal inches raise you 1 inch higher. 1 horizontal foot raises you 1 inch higher. 12 horizontal feet raises you 1 foot higher.
In order to rise 2 feet, you'd have to cover (2 x 12) = **24 horizontal feet **on a 1/12 slope.
The minimum horizontal length of a 2-foot high ramp with a slope of 12 1 is 24 feet. This is calculated using the slope formula, which defines the rise over the run. Therefore, the ramp must cover a horizontal distance of 24 feet to meet ADA specifications.
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