Question

A hiker gains 250 meters in altitude by climbing a mountain from the valley
The peak is 5 km from the valley. What is the gradient of the mountain side?​

Answer 1

Answer: 50 meters per kilometer

Explanation:

The gradient is defined as the variation of a magnitude as a function of distance. In the specific case of a mountain with a certain degree of inclination (or slope), the gradient is expressed as the relationship between the horizontal distance and the vertical distance:

$gradient=\frac{change-in-field-value}{distance}$

In this case, the change in field refers to the 250 meters gained in altitude by the hiker while it climbs the mountain from the valley, and the total distance from the valley to the peak of the mountain is 5 kilometers.

Therefore:

$gradient=\frac{250 m}{5 km}$

$gradient=50 m/km$ This is the gradient