Legality of Downwards-Sloping Ramps

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by Chris Hibner

I'm not sure what you mean - could you please explain that.

With a downwards-sloping ramp, there are presumably 4 minibot energy changes (ignoring friction). Two kinetic increases, the downwards part of the ramp and the usage of the motor, and 2 decreases, going up the ramp and going up the pole.

You say that in net terms, the upwards part of the ramp outweighs the downwards part, but it's not about net change. To be purely technical, some of the kinetic energy from the downwards slope could be used going up the pole, just as some of the motor's energy is expended going up the ramp.

While the ramp doesn't give the minibot a positive net change in kinetic energy, that doesn't mean all the energy used to ascend the pole comes from the battery, which makes the downwards-sloping ramp presumably illegal.