A ball whirls on a string. The string pulls it toward the centre with the centripetal force, force equals mass times speed squared divided by radius. Let go and there is no inward force any more, so by Newton's first law the ball travels in a straight line along the tangent, not outward from the centre. Release at the right instant to fling it through the target.
MissionRelease the ball so its straight-line path hits the target.Hits 0Best 0
When released, the ball flies:
centripetal force m v² ÷ r20.0 N
F = (2 × 5²) ÷ 2.5 = 20.0 N. A heavier, faster ball on a tighter circle needs more force.