Grade vs. Slope: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Grade is the measure of a slope's steepness, usually expressed as a percentage, while slope refers to the angle or incline of a surface.
Key Differences
Grade is a term primarily used to describe the steepness of a road or railway, typically expressed as a percentage. Slope, on the other hand, refers to any inclined surface and is often described in terms of its angle in degrees.
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Nov 11, 2023
In construction and engineering, grade is crucial for ensuring proper drainage and accessibility, whereas slope is a broader concept used in various physical and mathematical contexts to describe an inclined plane.
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Nov 11, 2023
Grade is calculated by dividing the vertical rise by the horizontal run and multiplying by 100, resulting in a percentage. Slope, however, can be determined by the tangent of the angle of inclination.
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Nov 11, 2023
The concept of grade is integral to road safety, as it impacts vehicle performance and control. Slope is essential in fields like geometry and physics, where understanding angles and inclines is necessary.
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Nov 11, 2023
In everyday language, grade is often used in specific contexts like education (grading systems) and road construction. Slope, conversely, is used in more general terms, applicable to any inclined surface.
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Nov 11, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Primary Context
Road and railway steepness, education
Inclined surfaces in various contexts
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Relevance in Fields
Construction, engineering, education
Geometry, physics, general use
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Calculation Method
Vertical rise over horizontal run
Tangent of the angle of inclination
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Common Usage
Specific to certain fields or contexts
Broad and versatile in application
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Nov 11, 2023
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Grade and Slope Definitions
Slope
An inclined surface or area of ground.
The slope of the roof prevents water accumulation.
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Grade
A degree of inclination of a road or surface.
The steep grade of the hill made cycling challenging.
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Slope
The degree of tilt or inclination.
The slope of the ramp was adjusted for easier access.
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Grade
A stage or step in a scale or series.
The project is now at grade level four.
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Slope
A mathematical term describing the steepness of a line.
The slope of this line is consistent with its rate of change.
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Grade
The process of arranging by rank or ability.
Students were graded based on their test scores.
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Slope
To diverge from the vertical or horizontal; incline
A roof that slopes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
To move or walk
"Without another word he turned and sloped off down the driveway" (Roald Dahl).
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Grade
A position in a scale of size, quality, or intensity
A poor grade of lumber.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A set of persons or things all falling in the same specified limits; a class.
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Slope
A stretch of ground forming a natural or artificial incline
Ski slopes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A level of academic development in an elementary, middle, or secondary school
Learned fractions in the fourth grade.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A group of students at such a level
The third grade has recess at 10:30.
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Slope
The rate at which an ordinate of a point of a line on a coordinate plane changes with respect to a change in the abscissa.
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Grade
A number, letter, or symbol indicating a student's level of accomplishment
A passing grade in history.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
The tangent of the angle of inclination of a line, or the slope of the tangent line for a curve or surface.
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Slope
Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person of East Asian birth or ancestry.
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Grade
The degree of inclination of a slope, road, or other surface
The steep grade of the mountain road.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
An area of ground that tends evenly upward or downward.
I had to climb a small slope to get to the site.
A steep slope
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A slope or gradual inclination, especially of a road or railroad track
Slowed the truck when he approached the grade.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
The degree to which a surface tends upward or downward.
The road has a very sharp downward slope at that point.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
The level at which the ground surface meets the foundation of a building.
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Slope
(mathematics) The ratio of the vertical and horizontal distances between two points on a line; zero if the line is horizontal, undefined if it is vertical.
The slope of this line is 0.5
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Grade
A domestic animal produced by crossbreeding one of purebred stock with one of ordinary stock.
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Slope
(mathematics) The slope of the line tangent to a curve at a given point.
The slope of a parabola increases linearly with x.
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Slope
The angle a roof surface makes with the horizontal, expressed as a ratio of the units of vertical rise to the units of horizontal length (sometimes referred to as run).
The slope of an asphalt shingle roof system should be 4:12 or greater.
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Grade
To determine the quality of (academic work, for example); evaluate
Graded the book reports.
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Slope
(intransitive) To tend steadily upward or downward.
The road slopes sharply down at that point.
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Slope
(transitive) To form with a slope; to give an oblique or slanting direction to; to incline or slant.
To slope the ground in a garden;
To slope a piece of cloth in cutting a garment
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Grade
To level or smooth to a desired or horizontal gradient
Bulldozers graded the road.
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Slope
To try to move surreptitiously.
I sloped in through the back door, hoping my boss wouldn't see me.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
(military) To hold a rifle at a slope with forearm perpendicular to the body in front holding the butt, the rifle resting on the shoulder.
The order was given to "slope arms".
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
To improve the quality of (livestock) by crossbreeding with purebred stock.
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Grade
To change or progress gradually
Piles of gravel that grade from coarse to fine.
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Grade
A rating.
This fine-grade coin from 1837 is worth a good amount.
I gave him a good grade for effort.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
An oblique direction; a line or direction including from a horizontal line or direction; also, sometimes, an inclination, as of one line or surface to another.
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Grade
Performance on a test or other evaluation(s), expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol; a score.
He got a good grade on the test.
You need a grade of at least 80% in first-year calculus to be admitted to the CS major program.
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Slope
Any ground whose surface forms an angle with the plane of the horizon.
Buildings the summit and slope of a hill.
Under the slopes of Pisgah.
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Grade
A degree or level of something; a position within a scale; a degree of quality.
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Slope
The part of a continent descending toward, and draining to, a particular ocean; as, the Pacific slope.
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Grade
(linguistics) Degree (any of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb).
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Grade
A slope (up or down) of a roadway or other passage
The grade of this hill is more than 5 percent.
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Grade
A level of primary and secondary education.
Clancy is entering the fifth grade this year.
Clancy starts grade five this year.
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Slope
To form with a slope; to give an oblique or slanting direction to; to direct obliquely; to incline; to slant; as, to slope the ground in a garden; to slope a piece of cloth in cutting a garment.
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Grade
A student of a particular grade (used with the grade level).
The grade fives are on a field trip.
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Slope
To take an oblique direction; to be at an angle with the plane of the horizon; to incline; as, the ground slopes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
The level of the ground.
This material absorbs moisture and is probably not a good choice for use below grade.
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Oct 19, 2023
Slope
An elevated geological formation;
He climbed the steep slope
The house was built on the side of the mountain
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Slope
The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the horizontal;
A five-degree gradient
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Grade
(geometry) In a linear system of divisors on an n-dimensional variety, the number of free intersection points of n generic divisors.
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Slope
A hill or incline suitable for skiing.
The ski slope was crowded with beginners.
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Grade
(systematics) A taxon united by a level of morphological or physiological complexity that is not a clade.
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Slope
To incline or slant towards a direction.
The path slopes gently towards the river.
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Grade
To assign scores to the components of an academic test, or to overall academic performance.
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Grade
To flatten, level, or smooth a large surface, especially with a grader.
To grade land before building on it
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Grade
(sewing) To remove or trim part of a seam allowance from a finished seam so as to reduce bulk and make the finished piece more even when turned right side out.
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Grade
To apply classifying labels to data (typically by a manual rather than automatic process).
Brain scans were graded on a five-point scale of atrophy.
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Grade
(linguistics) To describe, modify or inflect so as to classify as to degree.
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Grade
To pass from one school grade into the next.
I graded out of grade two and three and arrived in Miss Hanson's room.
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Grade
A step or degree in any series, rank, quality, order; relative position or standing; as, grades of military rank; crimes of every grade; grades of flour.
They also appointed and removed, at their own pleasure,teachers of every grade.
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Grade
The rate of ascent or descent; gradient; deviation from a level surface to an inclined plane; - usually stated as so many feet per mile, or as one foot rise or fall in so many of horizontal distance; as, a heavy grade; a grade of twenty feet per mile, or of 1 in 264.
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Grade
The result of crossing a native stock with some better breed. If the crossbreed have more than three fourths of the better blood, it is called high grade.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
To arrange in order, steps, or degrees, according to size, quality, rank, etc.
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Grade
To reduce to a level, or to an evenly progressive ascent, as the line of a canal or road.
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A body of students who are taught together;
Early morning classes are always sleepy
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Grade
A relative position or degree of value in a graded group;
Lumber of the highest grade
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
The gradient of a slope or road or other surface;
The road had a steep grade
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance);
She made good marks in algebra
Grade A milk
What was your score on your homework?
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
The height of the ground on which something stands;
The base of the tower was below grade
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Oct 19, 2023
Grade
A position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality;
A moderate degree of intelligence
A high level of care is required
It is all a matter of degree
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Grade
Assign a rank or rating to;
How would you rank these students?
The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide
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Grade
Assign a grade or rank to, according to one's evaluation;
Grade tests
Score the SAT essays
Mark homework
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Grade
A category or classification.
This product is classified as a grade B item.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Does grade apply to academic evaluations?
Yes, in education, grade refers to academic evaluations and rankings.
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Is slope used in geometry?
Yes, in geometry, slope describes the steepness and direction of a line.
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Nov 11, 2023
Is grade always expressed as a percentage?
In terms of road or surface steepness, grade is typically expressed as a percentage.
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Nov 11, 2023
Do grade and slope have the same importance in engineering?
Both are important, but their specific applications in engineering may differ.
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Can slope affect water drainage?
Definitely, the slope of a surface greatly affects water runoff and drainage.
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Are grade and slope interchangeable in construction?
They are related but not always interchangeable; grade is specific to steepness.
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Can grade affect vehicle performance?
Yes, vehicle performance and control can be significantly impacted by road grade.
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Nov 11, 2023
Is the concept of slope relevant in everyday life?
Yes, slope is relevant in many practical situations like building ramps or stairs.
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Nov 11, 2023
Can slope be expressed in different ways?
Yes, slope can be expressed as an angle, a ratio, or a mathematical formula.
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Does the slope of a roof matter?
Absolutely, the slope of a roof affects its drainage and structural integrity.
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Can grade be used in describing mountain roads?
Yes, grade is often used to describe the steepness of mountain roads.
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Is grade important in railway construction?
Yes, railway grades are crucial for the safe and efficient movement of trains.
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Can grade be zero?
Yes, a zero grade means there is no inclination, indicating a flat surface.
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How is grade important in agriculture?
Grade affects irrigation and drainage in agricultural lands.
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Is slope important in physics?
Absolutely, slope is crucial in understanding motion and forces on inclined planes.
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Nov 11, 2023
Are there standard grades for roads?
Yes, there are standard grades for roads to ensure safety and accessibility.
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Nov 11, 2023
How is grade measured in classrooms?
Grade in education is measured by evaluating students' academic performance.
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Nov 11, 2023
Is the concept of slope used in economics?
Slope concepts are used in economics, particularly in graphical analysis.
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Does slope have applications in sports?
Yes, especially in sports like skiing where the slope of the terrain is key.
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Does slope play a role in environmental studies?
Yes, slope analysis is crucial in understanding erosion and landform development.
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Nov 11, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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