Final answer:
To bring the balls to a halt, calculate the torque required by finding the weight of the balls and multiplying it by the distance between them.
Step-by-step explanation:
To bring the balls to a halt, we need to calculate the torque required. Torque is the product of force and distance. In this case, the force acting on the balls is the weight of the balls, which can be calculated using the formula F = m * g, where m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity. The distance is the length of the rod between the balls. Torque is given by the formula T = F * d, where T is the torque, F is the force, and d is the distance. So, the torque required to bring the balls to a halt can be calculated by finding the weight of the balls and multiplying it by the distance between them.