Falling Ladder

Source code: fallingLadder.pde    Built with Processing

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This applet illustrates a point moving on a falling ladder.

The ladder is the purple line, shown leaning against a vertical wall to the left.

The top slider controls time, i.e., what instant in the fall is displayed by the ladder and point.

The middle slider controls the speed of the moving point. Initially, the point does not move, but you can change that with this slider, and have the point move toward either end of the ladder at a constant speed.

The bottom slider controls the initial position of the point: where is the point on the ladder at time t=0.

The black curve shows the path traced by the point as the ladder falls.