A long, uniform thin rod of length L and mass M lies along the x-axis with its center at the origin. Consider two candidate axes, both perpendicular to the page: Axis A passes through the rod’s midpoint, while Axis B passes through the point x=4L. Which statement correctly describes how the rotational inertia about Axis B compares with that about Axis A?
a) IB equals IA because both axes are perpendicular to the rod.
b) IB equals IA only if the rod’s linear density varies with position.
c) IB is greater than IA because more mass is located farther from Axis B.
d) IB is less than IA since Axis B removes equal mass from each side, reducing the average radius.