A slippery slope

A successful ski lift relies on an understanding of distance, midpoints and gradients. This resource takes a mathematical look at finding these for any given interval.

An image of snow on a mountain.

Explore

Recall how to plot points on the xy-axis. This Geogebra applet allows you to visualise what different gradients look like and how to calculate the gradient of a line. To practice calculating gradient try this online quiz. Why are roofs in snowy areas steep?

Your tasks

Calculate icon

Design a spreadsheet in this task to check on the mathematics of ski-lifts and then publish a safety flyer.

Mouse icon

Make your recommendations about a possible new ski-lift.

Task 3

Decide which street really is the steepest in the world. What is the steepest street in your area?

Syllabus links | Teaching notes (DOCX 79kB)