🔍 Key Concepts

• Behavior of cracks in hull plating under pressure or stress • Effect of driving a wedge into a narrow opening or split • How forces are transmitted through a wedge shape

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens to the two sides of a crack when a wedge-shaped object is driven into it with force. • Which of these four choices describes a direct mechanical effect of a wedge on the two surfaces it separates? • Consider which option explains why the original crack might become worse, not just why the wedge itself might fail.

✅ Before You Answer

• Visualize the shape and action of a wedge when hammered into a split surface. • Ask yourself which option describes what happens to the crack itself, not just to the wedge. • Eliminate choices that focus only on the wedge failing, rather than the hull damage increasing.