You are making a circular turn in your car on a horizontal road when you hit a big patch of ice, causing the force of friction between the tires and the road to become zero. While the car is on the
Ice, it
A) moves along a straight-line path away from the center of the circle.
B) moves along a straight-line path toward the center of the circle.
C) continues to follow a circular path, but with a radius larger than the original radius.
D) moves along a path that is neither straight nor circular.
E) moves along a straight-line path in its original direction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the force of friction between the tires and the road becomes zero, the car can no longer follow the circular path because there is no centripetal force to keep it moving in a circle. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Since the frictional force has disappeared, there's no force to change the car's direction, so it will continue moving in a straight line in the direction it was going at the moment it hit the ice.

You Are Making a Circular Turn in Your Car on a Horizontal