What is the slope ratio of the conical surface as it extends upwards and outwards?

What is the slope ratio of the conical surface as it extends upwards and outwards?

• A. 10:1
• B. 20:1
• C. 7:1
• D. 34:1

Answer: (B)

The slope of the conical surface in a vertical cross-section is the rise over run—the height of the cone divided by its base radius. For a right circular cone, all axis-cross sections form similar triangles, so this height-to-radius ratio stays constant along the surface. If the diagram shows that the vertical height is twenty times the horizontal outward distance to the base edge, the slope is twenty to one. That means the conical surface rises much more quickly than it moves outward, giving a steep, slender cone. A smaller ratio would mean a flatter cone, while a larger ratio would be even steeper. In this case, the measured rise-to-run is 20:1.

The slope of the conical surface in a vertical cross-section is the rise over run—the height of the cone divided by its base radius. For a right circular cone, all axis-cross sections form similar triangles, so this height-to-radius ratio stays constant along the surface. If the diagram shows that the vertical height is twenty times the horizontal outward distance to the base edge, the slope is twenty to one. That means the conical surface rises much more quickly than it moves outward, giving a steep, slender cone. A smaller ratio would mean a flatter cone, while a larger ratio would be even steeper. In this case, the measured rise-to-run is 20:1.