The length of the longest ladder that can negotiate the corner depicted in Fig. P7.40 can...

The length of the longest ladder that can negotiate the corner depicted in Fig. P7.40 can be determined by computing the value of θ that minimizes the following function:

For the case where w₁ = w₂ = 2 m, use a numerical method described in this chapter (including MATLAB’s built-in capabilities) to develop a plot of L versus a range of α’s from 45 to 135°.

FIGURE P7.40: A ladder negotiating a corner formed by two hallways.