Parts of an Inclined Plane

Lever

• The lever is another simple machine. It is a flat surface placed at an angle with one end higher than the other. In an inclined plane the lever remains stationary. The surface of an inclined plane may also be curved, as it is in a skateboard or bike ramp or along the axle of a screw, or it may be tiered like a staircase.

Fulcrum

• The fulcrum is another piece that the inclined plane and the lever have in common. In the lever machine the fulcrum is the point used to elevate one end of the surface to then generate momentum when the raised end is pulled downward. In an inclined plane the fulcrum acts as the elevating point of the plane and is usually found at the back instead of the middle to support the highest point of the plane.

Slant

• The slant refers to both the bottom end of the plane and the angle at which it is tilted. At the base it is the lower portion of the lever that allows an object to be raised onto the plane and then leads to the highest point. Once again, the difference between an inclined plane and a lever is that the slant never changes position.