Statics is otherwise known equilibrium. It is the branch of mechanics concerned with bodies that are acted upon by balanced forces and couples so that they remain at rest or in unaccelerated motion.

One has equilibrium if no net external forces are exerted and the net torque about all points is zero. Under these circumstances the center of mass will experience no linear or rotational acceleration. If these conditions aren't met, then the center of mass of a rigid body will accelerate in the direction of the net force and the rigid body's angular momentum with respect to the point about which there is a net torque.

 
A Sample Problem:
Okay, so there is a painter standing on a ladder. However, when she gets 70% of the way up the ladder it begins to slip. If the mass of the ladder is 15.0 kg and the painter has a mass of 70 kg, what is the static friction coefficient of the floor? Assume the wall is frictionless.
 
The Answer:
Well, actually I won't answer it for you. It would probably mess with your head too much! However, if you simply must have it, e-mail Mr. Young and he will forward the answer to you. I'll give you a hint though; look at the forces and the torques because they should equal out to zero.

Some Related Sites to see
(Just in case you haven't come to know the "truth" of statics or need more of a challenge):

http://www.sd.bi.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/

http://webug.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys111/fall97/Lectures/Lect18sw/tsld002.htm

http://lloyney.demon.co.uk/rob/ffe4_1.htm

http://nacphy.physics.orst.edu/HSPhysics/nonlinear/Theory.html

http://www.wsu.edu/~kpriest/

http://www.alpha-9.demon.co.uk/

http://physics11.harvard.edu/lectures/lect19.html

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~hearrean/staticspage.htm
 

Here is the University of Arkansas's Physics Department:

http://apsara.uark.edu/depts/physics

Here is the Texas Insturment Homepage for calculators (just so you can get some programs to help!):

http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/calchome.html

 

All About me and APPB:

I am a Junior at Fayetteville High School. I am in AP Physics "B". So you won't find any of that crummy Calculus stuff! Mr. David A. Young is my teacher, as well as, the FASST Lab Director. It was his idea to put this in the currculum. He has even persuaded me to take AP Physics "C" next year!

 

Let's try to apply this neat stuff:
 
There are many ways one experiences equilibrium in real life. For instance, look at

your computer monitor is not moving in relation to you! It would be said to be in equilibrium. Actually, equilibrium has been a big part of architecture for a very long time. This can be seen in the Romans work. They introduced the arch. They also made three dimensional arches, that are otherwise known as domes!
 
These are great examples of equilibrium.
 
 

 

 
   However, sometimes builders are not so bright. 100 people died in a Kansas City Hotel in 1981. An elevated walkway collapsed. There were two walkways one above the other. Vertical rods attached to the ceiling of the lobby suspended these walkways. The original design called for single rods to go all the way up. However, the builder judged this to be too difficult to install, so instead they replaced the rod with two shorter rods. This doubled the weight the higher rod had to hold.