ACTIVITY2 Calculate gradient and describe slopes (Assesmient aims and skills 6,9 ) 1. Write out the sentences below so they are correct. a. When contour lines are close together the slope is gentle b. When contour lines are far apart, the slope is steep. 2. Examine Figure 5 . a. Describe the gradient of slope $$ A $$ to $$ B $$ b. Describe the gradient of the slope $$ B $$ to $$ C $$. c. Calculate the vertical height difference between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$ (refer to the d. Record the horizontal difference between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$. e. Use the gradient formula above to calculate the gradient between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$

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### 1. Corrected Sentences

a. **Incorrect:** When contour lines are close together the slope is gentle.

**Correct:** When contour lines are close together, the slope is **steep**.

b. **Incorrect:** When contour lines are far apart, the slope is steep.

**Correct:** When contour lines are far apart, the slope is **gentle**.

*Explanation:*  
- **Close Together Contour Lines:** Indicate a **steep slope** because there's a rapid change in elevation over a short horizontal distance.
- **Far Apart Contour Lines:** Indicate a **gentle slope** because the elevation changes gradually over a longer horizontal distance.

---

### 2. Examination of Figure 5

*Note:* Since I don't have access to Figure 5, I'll provide a general guide on how to approach each part of the question. Please refer to your specific figure to apply these steps.

#### a. Describe the Gradient of Slope $$ A $$ to $$ B $$

- **Observation:** Look at the contour lines between points A and B.
  - **If contour lines are close together:** The gradient is **steeper**.
  - **If contour lines are far apart:** The gradient is **gentle**.
  
*Example Description:*  
*"Between points A and B, the contour lines are closely spaced, indicating a steep gradient."*

#### b. Describe the Gradient of Slope $$ B $$ to $$ C $$

- **Observation:** Examine the spacing of contour lines between points B and C.
  - **Close Spacing:** Steep gradient.
  - **Wide Spacing:** Gentle gradient.

*Example Description:*  
*"Between points B and C, the contour lines are widely spaced, indicating a gentle gradient."*

#### c. Calculate the Vertical Height Difference Between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$

- **Step 1:** Identify the elevation at point B.
- **Step 2:** Identify the elevation at point C.
- **Step 3:** Subtract the elevation at B from the elevation at C.

$$
\text{Vertical Height Difference} = \text{Elevation at } C - \text{Elevation at } B
$$

*Example Calculation:*  
*"If Elevation at B = 200 meters and Elevation at C = 250 meters, then the vertical height difference is 50 meters."*

#### d. Record the Horizontal Difference Between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$

- **Step 1:** Determine the map scale from Figure 5 (e.g., 1 cm = 100 meters).
- **Step 2:** Measure the distance between points B and C on the map using a ruler.
- **Step 3:** Convert the measured distance to actual horizontal distance using the map scale.

$$
\text{Horizontal Distance} = \text{Measured Distance} \times \text{Map Scale Factor}
$$

*Example Calculation:*  
*"If the measured distance on the map is 3 cm and the scale is 1 cm = 100 meters, then the horizontal distance is 300 meters."*

#### e. Calculate the Gradient Between $$ B $$ and $$ C $$

- **Gradient Formula:**

$$
\text{Gradient} = \frac{\text{Vertical Height Difference}}{\text{Horizontal Distance}}
$$

- **Step 1:** Use the vertical height difference from part (c).
- **Step 2:** Use the horizontal distance from part (d).
- **Step 3:** Divide the vertical height difference by the horizontal distance to get the gradient.

$$
\text{Gradient} = \frac{\Delta \text{Height}}{\Delta \text{Distance}}
$$

*Example Calculation:*  
*"Using the vertical height difference of 50 meters and horizontal distance of 300 meters:*

$$
\text{Gradient} = \frac{50 \text{ m}}{300 \text{ m}} = 0.1667 \text{ or } 16.67\%
$$*

*Interpretation:*  
*A gradient of 16.67% indicates that for every 100 meters horizontally, the elevation changes by approximately 16.67 meters.*

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### Summary

- **Closely Spaced Contour Lines:** Steep slopes.
- **Widely Spaced Contour Lines:** Gentle slopes.
- **Gradient Calculation:** $$\frac{\text{Vertical Height Difference}}{\text{Horizontal Distance}}$$

Be sure to apply the actual measurements and elevations from Figure 5 to obtain accurate results for your specific assignment.
When contour lines are close together, the slope is steep. When they are far apart, the slope is gentle. For slope A to B, the gradient is steep because the contour lines are close. For slope B to C, the gradient is gentle because the contour lines are far apart. The vertical height difference between B and C is 50 meters, and the horizontal distance is 300 meters. The gradient between B and C is 16.67%.

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