Incline Planes: question about distance?

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The distance an object travels down an incline plane is measured along the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the incline. This distance is relevant for calculations involving the incline's slope and angle. The base of the triangle does not represent the actual distance traveled along the incline. Clarification was sought to ensure accurate labeling in a schematic, but it was acknowledged that this detail would not significantly impact calculations. Understanding the correct measurement is essential for accurate representations in physics problems.
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Does the distance traveled by an object sliding down an incline plane pertain to the base or the hypotenuse of the triangle? My guess is the hypotenuse, but I want to make sure in order to settle this matter once and for all.
 
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The distance traveled is along the hypotenuse yes.
 
jmosque said:
Does the distance traveled by an object sliding down an incline plane pertain to the base or the hypotenuse of the triangle? My guess is the hypotenuse, but I want to make sure in order to settle this matter once and for all.
When something slides down an inclined plane, the distance traveled is usually measured along the surface of the incline, which can be thought of as the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

What exact question did you have in mind?
 
Doc Al said:
When something slides down an inclined plane, the distance traveled is usually measured along the surface of the incline, which can be thought of as the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

What exact question did you have in mind?

That was my question, for the purpose of making a schematic of an incline pane. I was going to label the base as "x" but then I questioned whether that was correct. In retrospect, it was somewhat of a dumb question because I don't really think this small matter would have affected any of the math in my problem.Thank you both for your help! :)
 

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