Final answer:
The car will continue in a straight line tangent to the point where it left the curved path, in accordance with Newton's First Law of Motion since the frictional force is nearly eliminated on the ice. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a car rounds a curve and encounters a patch of ice with a very low coefficient of kinetic friction, the car can no longer maintain the curved path because the frictional force that provides the necessary centripetal force to keep the car on the curved path is nearly eliminated.
In accordance with Newton's First Law of Motion, which states that an object in motion will remain in motion with the same speed and direction unless acted upon by a force, the car will continue moving in a straight line off the road. This straight path is tangent to the point where the car left the curved path.
Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is a) Straight line.