A Stepladder Consists of Two Halves,hinged at the Top,and Connected

Multiple Choice

A stepladder consists of two halves,hinged at the top,and connected by a tie rod that keeps the two halves from spreading apart.In this particular instance,the two halves are 2.50 m long,the tie rod is connected to the center of each half and is 70.0 cm long.An 800-N person stands 3/5 of the way up the stepladder,as shown in the figure.Neglecting the weight of the ladder,and assuming that the ladder is resting on a smooth floor,what is the tension in the tie rod? Note: To solve this problem you must "cut" the ladder in half and consider the equilibrium of 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