Meaning & use
an inclined plane
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalphysics
A flat surface set at an angle to the ground, used to move heavy things up or down with less effort.
Grammar: Countable: you can say an inclined plane, two inclined planes.
Patterns
- push something up an inclined plane
- a steep inclined plane
- use an inclined plane to lift something
Workers rolled the barrels up an inclined plane instead of lifting them straight up.
A ramp for wheelchairs is an everyday example of an inclined plane.
The steeper the inclined plane, the more force you need to push a load along it.
nouncountabletechnicalphysics
One of the simple machines studied in physics, in which a sloped surface trades a longer distance for a smaller force.
Grammar: Often appears in lists with the lever, pulley, and wedge.
Patterns
- one of the simple machines
- an example of an inclined plane
In physics class we listed the inclined plane among the simple machines.
A screw is really an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.
The teacher asked which simple machine a staircase demonstrates, and the answer was the inclined plane.
Word forms
| plural | inclined planes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a steep inclined plane
- The cart slid back down the steep inclined plane.
- an inclined plane at an angle of 30 degrees
- They set the board as an inclined plane at an angle of 30 degrees.
- push a load up an inclined plane
- You need less force to push a load up an inclined plane than to lift it.
- the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane
- The longer the slope, the greater the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane.
- a gentle inclined plane
- A gentle inclined plane makes it easier for cyclists to climb the hill.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ramp
- Ramp is the everyday word for a sloping surface you walk or drive on; inclined plane is the scientific term and can also mean the abstract simple machine.
- slope
- Slope is a general word for any slanting surface or piece of ground, not specifically a device for moving loads.
- wedge
- A wedge is a different simple machine: two inclined planes joined back to back, used for splitting or holding things.
Word family
- incline noun
- A slope or a slanting surface.
- incline verb
- To lean or slope, or to make someone willing to do something.
- inclination noun
- A slope or angle, or a tendency or preference.
Commonly confused: an inclined plane or inclined?
an inclined plane vs inclined
Inclined is an adjective meaning "leaning" or "likely to do something"; the noun phrase inclined plane names the sloped surface itself.
Practice
Which sentence uses "an inclined plane" correctly?
Choose one answer.
An inclined plane is a sloped surface that helps you move a load up or down, so rolling a drum onto a truck fits. Cutting, measuring temperature, and writing have nothing to do with a sloped surface.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an inclined plane”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.