Question

A ball is attached to the end of a string. A child holds the other end of the string and twirls it so the ball travels in a circular path. Then the child suddenly releases the string. In which direction will the ball move initially?

tangent to the circle

along the circumference of the circle

directly toward the child

directly away from the child

Answer 1

First option

Step-by-step explanation:

If the ball is running in a circular motion then its velocity v will be tangency to the circular path.

In this problem the centripetal force that allows the circular movement is the tension T of the rope to which the ball is tied, if the child releases the rope then this tension becomes equal to zero and the circular movement is interrupted.

As the speed v of the ball is always tangential to the circumference at any point of the same, then at the instant in which the rope is released, the ball will follow the same trajectory that it had at that moment, that is, tangential to the circumference.

Observe the attached image.

Therefore the answe is: tangent to the circle