Question

Tom is climbing a 3.0-m-long ladder that leans against a vertical wall, contacting the wall 2.1 m above the ground. His weight of 880 N is a vector pointing vertically downward. (Weight is measured in newtons, abbreviated N.)

A) What is the magnitude of the component of Tom's weight parallel to the ladder?

B) What is the magnitude of the component of Tom's weight perpendicular to the ladder?

Answer 1

Answer:

A) $616\ \rm N$

B)$628.44\ \rm N$

Explanation:

Given:

Length of the ladder $=3\ \rm m$

weight of the Tom  $W=880\ \rm N$

The angle that ladder make with x axis is

$\sin \theta=\dfrac{2.1}{3}\\\theta=44.42^\circ$

Part A

magnitude of the component of the weight parallel to the ladder $=W\sin 44.42^\circ\\=880\times \sin 44.42^\circ\\=616\ \rm N$

Part B)

The magnitude of the component of Tom's weight perpendicular to the ladder

 $=W\cos 44.42^\circ\\=880\times \cos 44.42^\circ\\=628.44\ \rm N$