"a ramp rises 1.5 feet for every 18 feet of horizontal distance it covers."

i need on which would be the x variable or y variable (basically which one is the independent variable and which one is the dependent.)

A ramp rises 1.5 feet for every 18 feet of horizontal distance. Basically the for is what gives it away. You could also just go with the fact that the x variable normally goes left to right (horizontal) and y goes up and down (Rises and falls) which gives you the same thing. The 1.5 feet is y and 18 feet is x