Rampa

Meet Rampa, a ramp who trades extra distance for a smaller push.

On a slope, gravity's pull mg can be split into two parts: one pressing into the surface, mg cos θ, and one pulling the load down the slope, mg sin θ. With no friction, holding the load or pushing it up slowly needs a force of only mg sin θ along the slope.

On a 30° slope, sin 30° = 0.5, so you need half the load's weight. Raising a 20 kg box by 1 m means pushing with about 98 newtons over 2 m of slope, instead of lifting 196 N straight up 1 m. The work is the same, 196 joules, either way. The ramp only lets you use a smaller force over a longer distance.

Wheelchair ramps, loading ramps, roads up mountains and screw threads (a ramp wrapped around a cylinder) all use this idea. It is one of the classical simple machines.

Real ramps have friction, which adds to the push needed going up. Steeper slopes need more force, and above some angle loads slide down by themselves.