Final answer:
The best explanation for a penny slipping off the edge of a rotating turntable is that the outward inertial force at the edge is greater due to the higher linear velocity, which may overcome the available frictional force attempting to provide the necessary centripetal force for circular motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best explains why a penny placed near the edge of a rotating turntable is more likely to slip off is: A) The outward force responsible for slipping is greater at the edge than at the middle. This observation is a result of different physical principles related to circular motion, inertia, and friction. On a rotating turntable, every point has the same angular velocity; however, linear velocity increases with distance from the center. As a result, a penny at the edge of the turntable has a higher linear velocity than a penny near the center, and thus the inertial force (often misinterpreted as centrifugal force) acting to move the penny in a straight line (as per Newton's first law) is greater. At the same time, the centripetal force required to keep the penny in circular motion also increases with linear velocity. If this required centripetal force exceeds the maximum frictional force between the penny and the turntable, the penny will slip off.