Consider a weathered rock or soil particle lying on a slope. How will the gravitational force pulling the particle downward along the land surface vary with the inclination of the slope? A) It is not affected by the slope angle. B) It will increase as the slope angle is lessened. C) It will decrease as the slope angle is lessened. D) It will possibly increase or decrease as slope angle is lessened, depending upon other factors.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force pulling a particle downward along the slope decreases as the slope angle is lessened because the component of gravitational force acting along the slope is directly related to the sine of the slope angle. As the angle decreases, the sine of the angle decreases, thus reducing the force component acting along the slope.

Consider a Weathered Rock or Soil Particle Lying on a Slope