Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]PhysicsCircular Motion
A stone of mass m attached to a string of length l is whirled in a circle, with the string's other end acting as the centre. The stone's speed is v . In the event that the string breaks, the stone will travel
Options
- Aalong a tangent
- Bto a sudden halt
- Caway from the centre
- Dtowards the centre
Correct answer
A. along a tangent
Step-by-step solution
When a stone of mass m is whirled in a circular path of radius l with speed v , its velocity at any instant is directed along the tangent to the circle at that point. The centripetal force required for circular motion is provided by the tension in the string. If the string breaks, the tension becomes zero and the centripetal force vanishes. According to Newton's first law of motion, in the absence of any external force, the stone will continue to move in the direction of its instantaneous velocity. Therefore, the s