🔍 Key Concepts

• Initial stability and how it is measured • Meaning of the letters G (center of gravity) and M (metacenter) in stability diagrams • Difference between a distance/height and a moment

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: When naval architects write GM on a stability curve, are they talking about a length between two points, or a torque/turning force? • Which of the options are clearly forces or turning effects, and which are clearly distances or points? • Look at each choice and decide: does it describe a single point, a lever arm, or a measure of separation between two specific points?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choices refer to a moment (a turning force) versus a length (a distance). • Recall that the metacenter is point M and the center of gravity is point G—what does the notation between two letters usually describe? • Verify in your notes which term is used as the numerical measure of initial stability for small angles of heel.