Working out the coeffient of friction?

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To calculate the coefficient of static friction (μ) for a ladder weighing 250 N and resting at a 55-degree angle against a smooth wall, a free body diagram (FBD) is essential. The discussion highlights that many students struggle with this problem, as it has appeared in past exams without prior classroom coverage. Participants encourage sharing attempts and specific points of confusion to facilitate assistance. Understanding the forces acting on the ladder, including friction and normal forces, is crucial for solving the problem. Collaboration and clear communication of difficulties can help students overcome their challenges in this physics scenario.
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Homework Statement



A ladder of weight 250 N and of length 6.0 m....?
A ladder of weight 250 N and of length 6.0 m rests with its lower end on a horizontal rough concrete surface and its upper end against a smooth wall. If the ladder just starts to slip when the angle between it and the concrete is 550, calculate the coefficient of static friction μ.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Unfortunately I have no idea where to begin. So any help would be much appreciated.
 
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Begin by drawing a free body diagram (FBD) of the ladder.
 
Sorry, I had already done that and am still struggling! This has croppped up on a number of past exam papers but we haven't been through it in class.
 
If you've already done it, show what you did and where you got stuck. We will help you get unstuck and stop struggling.
 

Thread 'Errors and significant figures'

I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
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Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
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