Question

A rock climber can hold him/herself up between two vertical rock walls by pushing against them. Explain how this is possible. Why doesn’t the climber fall?

Answer 1

This is due to friction. We all know that the frictional force is given by

N is the normal force acting in the direction perpendicular to the surface in contact with the climber.

This force acts in a direction opposite to the direction in which the object has a tendency to move. In rock climbing, due to gravity, the climber has a tendency to fall down. So the friction opposes this downward fall by acting in an upward direction.

Now if he pushes hard, N will increase. So this increases the friction. He has to increase the push until his weight is balanced by the friction. So when he pushes hard enough the climber won't fall.

In case if you have any doubts comment down below. All the best