Final answer:
The moment of inertia of a system consisting of two point masses m₁ and m₂ connected by a light rigid rod of length r₀, about an axis passing through their center of mass and perpendicular to the rod, is given by I = (m₁m₂) / (m₁ + m₂) r₀². The moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion. Therefore, the correct answer is A. m₁m₂/2(m₁+m₂)r₀².
Step-by-step explanation:
The moment of inertia of a system consisting of two point masses m₁ and m₂ connected by a light rigid rod of length r₀, about an axis passing through their center of mass and perpendicular to the rod, is given by:
I = (m₁m₂) / (m₁ + m₂) r₀²
where m₁ and m₂ are the masses of the point masses and r₀ is the length of the rigid rod. This formula can be derived using the parallel axis theorem. The moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion.
Therefore, the correct answer is A. m₁m₂/2(m₁+m₂)r₀².