🔍 Key Concepts

• Identify whether the illustrated bearing is designed mainly for axial thrust or radial support of the shaft • Recall the function of a propeller thrust bearing in a main propulsion shaft line • Distinguish between components that correct misalignment and those that carry propeller thrust into the hull structure

💭 Think About

• Look at how the pads or shoes in the bearing contact the collar on the shaft—are they arranged to resist forces along the shaft (fore and aft) or across it (up and down)? • Ask yourself where the propeller’s push on the water ultimately has to go structurally in the vessel—what component passes that force into the bed plate and foundations? • Compare each option to the usual job of a thrust bearing versus a flexible coupling or alignment device

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether the bearing faces are perpendicular to the shaft centerline, which is typical for taking axial thrust • Check if any option mentions transmitting axial thrust to the ship’s structure, a key role of this type of bearing • Eliminate answers that describe creating motion or vibration tuning, which are not primary functions of the illustrated bearing