A ball on a string is swung counterclockwise, so that it rolls in
a circular path on a frictionless floor (shown in the diagram below).
The string is released when the ball is in the position shown. Sketch
the path of the ball after the string is released.
Students who suffer from this misconception will draw the path of
the ball as a curve line which continues the motion of the ball as if
the string had not been cut (shown in blue below), or might show the
curve getting larger as if the string was lengthening instead of
being cut (shown in red below).
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