Solving the Mountain Climber Problem: Tension & Contact Force

[Jtappan]

Homework Statement

A mountain climber is rappelling down a vertical wall. The rope attaches to a buckle strapped to the climber's waist 15 cm to the right of his center of gravity and makes an angle of = 15° with the wall. The climber weighs 780 N.

(a) Find the tension in the rope
N

(b) Find the magnitude and direction of the contact force exerted by the wall on the climber's feet.

Magnitude 209 N
Direction ____ ° above the horizontal.

Homework Equations

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The Attempt at a Solution

when finding the tension of the rope, how is it possible that I found the magnitude of the feet against the wall and couldn't find the tension of the rope? Arent they part of the same equation?

Is this like a fulcrum problem?

 

[mgb_phys]

You need to find the component of the reaction at right angles to the wall.
You have the force downward (weight) and so the magintude of the tension is just the long side of the force triangle - like the length of the rope in the diagram.

 

[Jtappan]

Thats not the right answer though I have already tried it.

 

[steven10137]

"The moment of a force about a point is equal to the force times the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the point"

Using this rule and what you have been told, you need to get the tension in terms of a 'perpendicular distance'.