Answer:
619.8 N
Step-by-step explanation:
The tension in the string provides the centripetal force that keeps the rock in circular motion, so we can write:

where
T is the tension
m is the mass of the rock
v is the speed
r is the radius of the circular path
At the beginning,
T = 50.4 N
v = 21.1 m/s
r = 2.51 m
So we can use the equation to find the mass of the rock:

Later, the radius of the string is decreased to
r' = 1.22 m
While the speed is increased to
v' = 51.6 m/s
Substituting these new data into the equation, we find the tension at which the string breaks:
