The student's claim did not follow the scientific method of discovery, hence, it is an opinion not a scientific claim.
<h3>What is the scientific method?</h3>
The scientific method is a procedure employed by scientific towards understanding the world around them as well giving explanation for phenomena in the natural world.
The scientific method involves:
- observations
- asking questions
- putting forward a hypothesis
- testing the hypothesis through experiments
- analyzing results of the experiments and drawing conclusions
- establishing a theory.
Since the student in question just put forward an opinion without testing it out using the scientific method, the statement is not a scientific claim.
Learn more about scientific method at: brainly.com/question/17216882
To solve this problem we will begin by finding the necessary and effective distances that act as components of the centripetal and gravity Forces. Later using the same relationships we will find the speed of the body. The second part of the problem will use the equations previously found to find the tension.
PART A) We will begin by finding the two net distances.

And the distance 'd' is



Through the free-body diagram the tension components are given by


Here we can watch that,

Dividing both expression we have that,

Replacing the values,


PART B) Using the vertical component we can find the tension,



