Final answer:
When the string of the washer breaks, the washer will continue to move in a straight line tangent to the circle it was previously moving in.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the string of the washer breaks, the washer will continue to move in a straight line tangent to the circle it was previously moving in. This is because an object in motion will continue to move in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the tension in the string was providing the centripetal force that kept the washer moving in a circle, so when the string breaks, the washer will no longer experience this force and will move in a straight line.