Final answer:
A conical pendulum moves in a circular path, which is similar to the motion of a car on a bend or a merry-go-round in motion. This is further explained by Newton's law of universal gravitation and the definition of circular motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to the motion of a conical pendulum, which unlike a simple pendulum that moves in a back-and-forth motion, moves in a circular path. When considering the options provided, the answer is: a) Circular path. This motion can be understood by considering examples like a car rounding a bend at a constant speed or a merry-go-round increasing from rest to a constant rotational speed, both involve circular motion. Furthermore, Newton's law of universal gravitation can explain the circular paths of planets and objects tied to strings and whirled in a circle, solidifying the understanding that a conical pendulum indeed follows a circular path. The concept of circular motion is also explicitly defined as the movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along a circular path.