What happens to the moment of inertia as mass distribution changes?

The moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion about a specific axis and is dependent on the mass of the object as well as the distribution of that mass relative to the axis of rotation. When the mass distribution of an object changes, it can significantly affect its moment of inertia.

If mass is distributed further away from the axis of rotation, the moment of inertia increases. This is because a greater distance from the axis means that any rotational force will have a larger effect in causing the object to rotate. Conversely, if the mass is concentrated closer to the axis, the moment of inertia decreases as it becomes easier to rotate the object.

When considering the context of the question, if the changes in mass distribution lead to more mass being located farther from the axis, then the moment of inertia increases accordingly. Hence, the correct response reflects the relationship that as mass distribution becomes more spread out, the moment of inertia rises.