Final answer:
In the context of a physics problem involving moment of inertia, to match the moment of inertia of two large disks with combined smaller disks, we require four smaller disks. This demonstrates the concept of moment of inertia affected by mass distribution in rotating systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to a physics principle called the moment of inertia, which is essentially a measurement of an object's resistance to changes in its rotation.
The moment of inertia depends on the mass distribution of an object. For a disk with mass M and radius R, the moment of inertia is given by 1/2 M R^2. When two disks of radius 2R are connected, the resulting system A will have a moment of inertia of I = 1/2 M (2R)^2 × 2 = 4MR^2.
For system B to have the same moment of inertia as system A, the combined moment of inertia of one larger disk and the smaller disks must also equal 4MR^2.
The moment of inertia of one larger disk is 2MR^2, so we need enough small disks to make up the difference.
If we denote the number of small disks as n, then 2MR^2 + n/2 M R^2 = 4MR^2. Solving for n gives us n = 4 small disks to make the moment of inertia match that of system A.
Therefore, the correct answer is that there are four smaller disks (not 1 or 2 as mentioned in the options) in system B to equate the moment of inertia to that of system A.