Two separate work pieces are to have a taper cut with the same taper per inch, using the offset tailstock method. After the first piece is completed, the tailstock offset must be changed if there is a change in the __________.

Correct Answer: Option C — length of the work piece

The tailstock offset formula is Taper per Inch = (Offset * 2) / Length of Workpiece. Because the length of the workpiece is a variable in the denominator, any change in the total length of the piece requires a corresponding adjustment to the tailstock offset to maintain the same taper per inch.