LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall

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written by Scott Schneider

This Java Applet simulates the well-known "leaning ladder" physics problem. It consists of a ladder leaning against a wall and a person standing on the ladder (represented by a blue ball). The user can adjust mass of ladder, mass of person, distance person stands from base of ladder, coefficient of static friction underneath ladder, and the theta angle. Force vectors and values are shown for the lateral force and force of static friction on the base of the ladder. The ladder will fall if the lateral is greater than the frictional force.

This is part of a larger collection of Physlet-based tutorials developed at Lawrence Technological University to support instruction of introductory physics.

Please note that this resource requires Java Applet Plug-in.

http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Classical Mechanics - Applications of Newton's Laws = Friction - Statics of Rigid Bodies = Equilibrium = Resolution of Forces = Static Torque	- High School - Lower Undergraduate	- Instructional Material = Curriculum support = Interactive Simulation

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners - Educators	- application/java - text/html	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2002 Scott Schneider
Keywords:: equilibrium, forces, ladder, static friction, torque
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created March 23, 2011 by Kendall Hunnewell
Record Updated:: September 2, 2011 by Caroline Hall
Last Update when Cataloged:: March 15, 2006
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

4. The Physical Setting

4F. Motion

9-12: 4F/H1. The change in motion (direction or speed) of an object is proportional to the applied force and inversely proportional to the mass.
9-12: 4F/H7. In most familiar situations, frictional forces complicate the description of motion, although the basic principles still apply.

11. Common Themes

11B. Models

6-8: 11B/M4. Simulations are often useful in modeling events and processes.
6-8: 11B/M5. The usefulness of a model depends on how closely its behavior matches key aspects of what is being modeled. The only way to determine the usefulness of a model is to compare its behavior to the behavior of the real-world object, event, or process being modeled.

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Record Link

<a href="http://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=11050">Schneider, Scott. LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall. March 15, 2006.</a>

AIP Format

S. Schneider, (2002), WWW Document, (http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml).

AJP/PRST-PER

S. Schneider, LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall (2002), <http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml>.

APA Format

Schneider, S. (2006, March 15). LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall. Retrieved August 1, 2014, from http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml

Chicago Format

Schneider, Scott. LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall. March 15, 2006. http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml (accessed 1 August 2014).

MLA Format

Schneider, Scott. LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall. 2002. 15 Mar. 2006. 1 Aug. 2014 <http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Author = "Scott Schneider", Title = {LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall}, Volume = {2014}, Number = {1 August 2014}, Month = {March 15, 2006}, Year = {2002} }

Refer Export Format

%A Scott Schneider
%T LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall
%D March 15, 2006
%U http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml
%O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source
%A Schneider, Scott
%D March 15, 2006
%T LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall
%V 2014
%N 1 August 2014
%8 March 15, 2006
%9 application/java
%U http://vnatsci.ltu.edu/s_schneider/physlets/main/ladder.shtml

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Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.

LTU Physlet: Ladder Leaning Against a Wall:

Is Part Of LTU: PHYSics appLETS (PHYSLETS)

A link to the full collection of LTU Java Physlets.

relation by Caroline Hall

Same topic as Ejs TPT Ladder Demonstration Model

This related Physlet presents the concept of equilibrium with fewer components: it removes the person from the ladder. The only problem to be considered is the mean lean angle required to maintain static equilibrium.

relation by Caroline Hall

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