In geometry, "grade" refers to the tangent of the angle that a surface makes with the horizontal. In simpler terms, it's a measure of steepness or slope.
Essentially, "grade" (in the US) or "gradient" (in the UK) indicates how much a surface rises (or falls) vertically for every unit of horizontal distance. It's also sometimes called stepth, slope, incline, mainfall, pitch or rise.
Here's a breakdown:
- Definition: The tangent of the angle between the surface and a horizontal line.
- Interpretation: It expresses the rate of change in height relative to horizontal distance.
- Zero Grade: A grade of zero indicates a perfectly horizontal surface.
While "slope" is a more general term, "grade" specifically refers to the tangent of the angle formed with the horizontal.
