Grade (slope) facts for kids

For other uses see: Gradient (disambiguation)

Road sign indicating a 20% upward gradient

The grade (or gradient) of a road or railway line is a measure of its steepness. It may be expressed as a percentage or in other ways. For example, a gradient of 1% may also be expressed as 1 in 100. This means that the road rises or falls by 1 metre for every 100 metres of forward travel.

Railway gradient post showing a change from level track to a downward gradient of 1 in 1026

Images for kids

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  Grade indicator near Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa, showing 1:150 and 1:88 grades.

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  A 1371-metre long stretch of railroad with a 20‰ (2%) slope, Czech Republic

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  25% ascent warning sign, Wales

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  30% descent warning sign, over 1500 m. La Route des Crêtes, Cassis, France

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  A trolleybus climbing an 18% grade in Seattle

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  Ascent of German Bundesstraße 10

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  A car parked on Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand

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  Looking down Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See also

In Spanish: Pendiente (geografía) para niños