What is an inclined plane? How do we calculate the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane?

An inclined plane is a slanting surface which connects two points at different heights so that heavier objects can be moved up or down easily. An inclined plane reduces the effort needed to lift objects, but does not reduce the amount of work.

For example, at construction sites for lifting or moving heavy loads workers push the load using an inclined plane, so that it moves without much effort. Here the force is applied only at the time of pushing the load.

The mechanical advantage of an inclined plane is equal to the ratio of the length of the inclined plane to its vertical height i.e.,

$\text {Mechanical Advantage (M.A.)} = \dfrac{\text {Length of the inclined plane (L)}}{\text {Vertical height (h)}}$