A piece of stone tied to a string is made to revolve in a circular orbit of radius $r$ with other end of the string as the centre. If the string breaks, the stone will:
Circular Motion Dynamics: Stone on a String
When a stone is revolved in a circular orbit of radius $r$ tied to a string, the string provides the necessary centripetal force ($F_c$) directed towards the center. This force is essential for changing the direction of the stone's velocity, keeping it in a circular path.
Inertia and Force Interruption
At any point in its circular motion, the stone possesses a tangential velocity ($v_t$) along the path. According to Newton's First Law of Motion (the Law of Inertia), an object continues in its state of motion unless acted upon by an external net force.
- Initial State: The stone moves in a circle due to the centripetal force from the string.
- Event: The string breaks.
- Consequence: The centripetal force instantly becomes zero.
Post-Break Motion
With the centripetal force removed, there is no longer any force acting to curve the stone's path towards the center. The stone's inertia causes it to continue moving in the direction it was heading at the exact moment the string broke. This direction is tangential to the circular path at that point.
Therefore, the stone will move along a tangent to the circle.
Important Questions from Forces
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