Final answer:
The slope of a pipe that slopes down 2/5 inch per foot is -1/30, which translates to a downward slope of 1 inch for every 30 inches of horizontal distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the slope of a pipe that slopes downwards at a rate of 2/5 inch per foot, we can use the concept of slope from mathematics which is the rise over the run. In this case, the 'rise' is the change in height, which is -2/5 inches (negative because it slopes down), and the 'run' is the horizontal distance, which is 1 foot. Since we want to keep the units consistent, we need to convert the foot into inches because the slope is given in inches per foot. There are 12 inches in one foot, so the slope can be represented as:
-2/5 inches/foot = -2/5 inches/(12 inches) = -1/30.
Therefore, the slope of the pipe is -1/30, which means for every 30 inches of horizontal distance, the pipe slopes down by 1 inch.