A nylon line is rated at 12,000 lbs....

Question 1 of 31048fy_heal_CREATE_q423_2021

A nylon line is rated at 12,000 lbs. breaking strain. Using a safety factor of 5, what is the safe working load (SWL)?

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Question 1 of 31048

Q

A nylon line is rated at 12,000 lbs. breaking strain. Using a safety factor of 5, what is the safe working load (SWL)?

🔍 Key Concepts

• Safe Working Load (SWL) as a fraction of the line’s breaking strain • How to apply a safety factor (or design factor) in a simple division problem • Difference between ultimate strength and allowable working load

💭 Think About

• If the line can theoretically hold 12,000 lbs before failing, what does it mean to apply a safety factor of 5? Are you multiplying or dividing the breaking strain by the safety factor? • Which answer choices look like they might represent: (1) the full breaking strain, (2) more than the breaking strain, or (3) a reduced, safer value? • When engineers or mariners use a safety factor, do they aim for the working load to be higher or lower than the breaking strain?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm that SWL = breaking strain ÷ safety factor, not the other way around • Double-check your arithmetic when dividing 12,000 by 5 • Make sure your final SWL is less than 12,000 lbs, not equal to or greater than it