A heavy ladder resting on floor and against a vertical wall may not be in equilibrium, if
A heavy ladder resting on floor and against a vertical wall may not be in equilibrium, if
Right Answer is:
The floor and wall both are smooth surfaces
SOLUTION
- When a ladder rests on a smooth horizontal surface and leans against a rough vertical wall.
- As seen from the diagram, the lower end of the ladder will start moving horizontally due to the gravitational pull of the earth towards the ladder.
- A heavy ladder resting on the floor and against a vertical wall may not be in equilibrium if the floor and wall both are smooth surfaces.
- As the surface is smooth, there would be no frictional force on the smooth horizontal surface.
- But as the ladder moves horizontally, the upper end of the ladder starts moving down and this motion of the ladder down will be opposed by a frictional force in the upward direction as the wall is rough.