Question

A child picks up a tennis ball tied to the end of a rope, he swings the rope around, over his head, in a circle. Once the ball is spinning, he lets go of the string and the ball goes flying. Explain which of the following images correctly shows which way the ball will fly and why

Answer 1

Answer: Path A

Explanation: Acceleration in a circle is toward the center of the circle, while velocity is always a straight line that's tangent to the circle. When the boy let's go of the rope the Acceleration toward the center of the circle disappears. The vlball then follows the straight path, tangent to the circle.