The main reason why wheelchair ramps are used to move people up a staircase is because it has a high mechanical advantage which leads to a greater efficiency in moving people up the staircase.
<em>Let the height of the staircase = h</em>
<em>Let the length of the ramp = L</em>
The mechanical advantage of the ramp is calculated as follows;
As the length of the ramp increases, people will be move up to a greater distance up the staircase.
Thus, the main reason why wheelchair ramps are used to move people up a staircase is because it has a high mechanical advantage which leads to a greater efficiency in moving people up the staircase.