Steepness

Steepness refers to the degree to which a slope, incline, or gradient deviates from the horizontal. It's a measure of how rapidly something rises or falls. In essence, it quantifies the vertical change over a given horizontal distance, determining the angle of ascent or descent. The term is applicable across a wide range of contexts, from geographical features like mountains and hillsides to architectural designs like ramps and roofs, and even abstract concepts like price fluctuations or performance curves. steepness is often expressed as a percentage, a ratio (rise over run), or an angle in degrees.

Steepness meaning with examples

• The steepness of the hiking trail made the climb challenging, with a significant incline demanding a sustained physical effort from the climbers. The high altitude combined with the trail's gradient made the ascent a grueling experience for even the most experienced hikers. Careful footwork and regular breaks were crucial to overcome the steepness. The reward was the panoramic view from the summit.
• Architects considered the steepness of the roof when designing the house, seeking to balance aesthetics with functionality. The pitch of the roof needed to effectively shed rain and snow, while also complementing the overall design of the building. Excessive steepness could lead to increased material costs and construction difficulty while a shallow pitch could result in water pooling.
• The financial analysts were monitoring the steepness of the market's recent rally, assessing its sustainability. A rapid increase, signifying steepness, could indicate a bubble, and a potential price correction was discussed. Investors were cautious, waiting for confirmation that there was still room to continue climbing, and weighing it against the potential risk of an imminent decline.
• The engineering team had to precisely calculate the steepness of the ramp to ensure safe wheelchair access, and the required rise to accommodate for a reasonable amount of horizontal distance for ease of use. Ensuring the correct gradient was vital in order to meet accessibility standards, and for preventing accidents. The smoothness of the surface was also an important factor to consider.
• In physics, understanding the steepness of a velocity-time graph allows us to determine the object's acceleration or deceleration, thus it is used to illustrate a change in speed or direction. A steeper gradient suggests greater acceleration or deceleration, meaning greater force is being applied. This gives important insights into how a system behaves in the real world.