TPR Diagnostic question

[UIC]

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If an object is traveling in uniform circular motion, and the centripetal force acting on the object is suddenly removed, which of the following best describes the object's subsequent motion?

A. The object will continue to travel in a straight line at a constant velocity

B. The object will continue to travel in a straight line, decelerating gradually until it comes to rest

C. The object will continue to travel in uniform circular motion

D. The object will continue to travel in uniform circular motion, decelerating gradually until it comes to rest.



I chose B but the answer is A. The way I saw it is if I was to swing a yo yo in the air in circle and then release the yo yo it would move at a constant velocity til hits the ground and stop there by decelerating by gravity. Am I thinking wrong?

 

[Salient]

Re-posting my answer from the other forum for others:

The question didn't say anything about gravity. Instead of visualizing a yo-yo, think about what would happen to the earth if the sun suddenly disappeared.

Even if you were using your yo-yo, B would still be wrong because the yo-yo would travel in a parabola unless you threw it straight down... and if you threw it straight down, it would be accelerating in a straight line until it was stopped suddenly and quite violently by the ground. The only way it would decelerate gently in a straight line is if there was some kind of frictional force acting on it (also not stated or implied anywhere in the question).