A Stepladder Consists of Two Halves That Are Hinged at the Top

Multiple Choice

A stepladder consists of two halves that are hinged at the top and connected by a tie rod which keeps the two halves from spreading apart. In this particular instance, the two halves are 2.5 m long, the tie rod is connected to the center of each half and is 70 cm long. An 800-N person stands 3/5 of the way up the stepladder, as shown in the figure. The ladder is light enough that we can neglect its weight, and it rests on an extremely smooth floor. What is the tension in the tie rod? (Note: To solve this problem, it is helpful to imagine cutting the ladder in half vertically and consider the forces and torques acting on each half of the ladder.)

A) 140 N
B) 240 N
C) 280 N
D) 360 N
E) 560 N