One end of a string is attached to the ceiling, and the other end of the string is attached to a cradle that has a meterstick that runs through it. The meterstick can slide through the cradle so that the horizontal position of a point on the meterstick can be changed in the horizontal direction. Students may hang objects of various masses from the meterstick. The students notice that when the meterstick-cradle-object-object system is not balanced, the meterstick will rotate.

Consider the situation shown in the image in which the center of the meterstick is aligned with the center of the cradle, which is at a position of x = 0m. The system is released from rest. Which of the following claims is correct about the motion of the system containing the meterstick, cradle, and two objects if the system is free to rotate?

A. The system will rotate in the clockwise direction with a constant angular speed. B. The system will rotate in the clockwise direction with an increasing angular speed. C. The system will rotate in the counterclockwise direction with a constant angular speed. D. The system will rotate in the counterclockwise direction with an increasing angular speed.