Final answer:
A ramp, which is an inclined plane, makes it easier to move heavy objects like a piano into a truck because it allows for the application of less force over a greater distance. This simple machine increases the distance over which force is applied, leading to less force being required at any point during the work, while ensuring the total work done remains the same.
Step-by-step explanation:
A ramp, which is a type of inclined plane, is a simple machine that makes work easier by allowing a person to apply less force over a greater distance to move an object. When a piano is being moved into a truck, using a ramp instead of lifting it vertically greatly reduces the force needed because the weight of the piano is distributed along the ramp's slope. This means that although the same amount of work is done (since work is a product of the force applied and the distance over which it's applied), the force required at any moment to move the piano up the ramp is less than the force would be if lifting it straight up.
In physics terms, work is defined as the force applied to an object times the distance the object moves while the force is being applied. When we use the ramp, we're increasing the distance over which the force is applied, which means that we can use less force to achieve the same result. This is because the work (force times distance) stays the same, but it is spread over a longer distance, decreasing the force required at any given moment.
Applying these concepts to the example: if someone pushes a piano up a ramp into a truck, they are doing work against gravity to increase the piano's gravitational potential energy. The use of the ramp means they can apply this force over a longer path with less intensity, as opposed to lifting the piano directly up into the truck, which would require a much greater force over a shorter distance, assuming negligible friction.