ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Schiefe Ebene

Okay kiddo, let's talk about something called a "schiefe ebene." It's a German word that means "inclined plane."

Have you ever tried to push a heavy object, like a box or a piece of furniture, up a hill or a staircase? It's really hard, right? But if you put the same object on a ramp or an inclined plane, it becomes much easier to push it up or down.

That's because an inclined plane reduces the amount of force you need to use to move an object by spreading it out over a longer distance. So even though you are pushing the object uphill, you are doing it with less force, which makes it easier.

Now, a schiefe ebene is a special type of inclined plane that is sloped at an angle. When you put an object on a schiefe ebene, it will slide down the slope due to gravity, which pulls all objects toward the ground.

But just like pushing an object up a hill is harder than pushing it along a level surface, stopping an object that's sliding down a schiefe ebene requires you to use more force than stopping an object that's just sitting still.

That's why schiefe ebenen can be useful for some things, like moving heavy objects or carrying water from one place to another. But they can also be dangerous if you don't use them properly, so it's important to be careful and follow the right safety rules.