Two people climbed to the roof of a building. The old person walked up a gentle ramp. The young person climbed up a steep spiral staircase. Which person did more work? Explain.

Answer 1

The reason this is deceptive is that force required is greater in the steeper case making it feel harder to do. Also, if you try to move at the same speed, the power required will be greater in the steeper case. Nonetheless, the work is the same.

Answer 2

They both did the same amount of work against gravity. Work = force * displacement * cosine of angle between the two. Therefore only the vertical displacement, i.e., the height, matters.