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JAMB Physics 1986 Question 16

Question 16

Motion

A ball attached to one end of a string moves anti-clockwise around a circle whose centre is O. If the string suddenly breaks when the ball is at the point P along which of the following paths will it move?

Diagram for this question
  1. A.A
  2. B.B
  3. C.C
  4. D.D
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (B)

Explanation

When the string breaks there is no centripetal force, so the ball flies off along the tangent in the direction it was moving; going anticlockwise at P, that is straight up the page, as in B.