Some are out but will be on Netflix June 17
The correct answer is C) towards the center of the circle.
Although the object is moving at a constant speed it is constantly accelerating due to the constant change in direction as it describes the circular path. This causes a constant change in velocity as velocity is a vector quantity.
For the object to maintain the circular path there has to be centripetal force acting on the object and this centripetal force is directed towards the center of the circle.
This state of motionlessness occurs because all of the kinetic energy in the car is absorbed by the spring in the form of elastic potential energy. The mathematical representation is:
1/2 mv² = 1/2 kx²
25m = kx², where m is the mass of the cart, k is the spring constant and x is the spring's extension.
