In the image above we have a ladder that is resting with the bottom end on the floor and the top end against the wall. The ladder is homogeneous in a way that its mass is equally distributed in through its structure. The coefficient of static friction between the ladder and the floor and wall is . What is the maximum angle (degrees) it can makes with the wall without slipping?
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The diagram above indicates the forces acting on the system while in stasis. The point B is the midpoint between points A and C. In the following equations above, M B indicates moment about point B. Let the length of the rod be L
∑ F h o r i z o n t a l = 0 ⟹ μ N 1 − N 2 = 0 ∑ F v e r t i c a l = 0 ⟹ μ N 2 + N 1 = W ∑ M B = 0 ⟹ ( N 2 cos θ + μ N 2 sin θ ) 2 L = ( N 1 sin θ − μ N 1 cos θ ) 2 L ⟹ N 1 N 2 = tan ( θ − arctan ( μ ) )
So three equations with three unknowns N 1 , N 2 and θ can be easily solved giving the answer as:
θ = 2 arctan ( μ )
Note: arctan [ . ] is the inverse tangent function.