🔍 Key Concepts

• Purpose of emergency shoring and plugging for damage control • How water finds paths around an imperfect plug in a jagged or irregular hole • Role of soft materials (like rags) versus hard materials (like wooden wedges) in forming a better seal

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens if you put a single smooth wooden plug into a torn, jagged hole in thin plating—where will the water try to go? • Consider whether these extra materials are meant to change the hull’s strength, the water pressure, or simply the tightness of the seal. • Which option best describes the local effect right at the plug/hole interface, not the overall flooding pattern in the ship?

✅ Before You Answer

• Focus on what happens immediately around the plug rather than the entire compartment or hull structure. • Ask yourself whether rags and wedges can truly change water pressure on the hull, or mostly affect how well the hole is sealed. • Check which choice describes improving the seal at the leak point rather than large‑scale structural or flooding effects.