🔍 Key Concepts

• Metacenter (M) and center of gravity (G) relationship for different types of equilibrium (stable, unstable, neutral) • Definition of GM (metacentric height) and what it means when GM is zero • How the vessel behaves when heeled slightly in neutral equilibrium

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens to righting arms and righting moments when a vessel is in neutral equilibrium—do they tend to return the vessel upright, overturn it further, or leave it as is? • If GM is zero in neutral equilibrium, what must be true about the vertical positions of G and M? • Which of the answer choices actually refers to the relative vertical position of the metacenter compared to the center of gravity, rather than to some other ship location?

✅ Before You Answer

• Recall: Stable equilibrium occurs when M is ____ G; unstable equilibrium occurs when M is ____ G; neutral equilibrium is the case in between. • Verify that GM = 0 corresponds to which vertical relationship between M and G. • Eliminate any choices that describe a position along the ship’s length (fore‑and‑aft) or a geometric point that has nothing to do with the vertical G–M relationship.