🔍 Key Concepts

• Locking plate purpose – to prevent the nut from turning once properly tightened • Correct bending of tabs – tabs should bear firmly against a flat side of the nut, not just a corner or edge • Contact area and support – the more flat contact between tab and nut, the more secure the lock

💭 Think About

• Look at each figure and ask: where does the bent tab actually touch the nut – across a full flat, or just at a corner? • Which figure would allow the nut to deform or bend the tab easily if it tried to turn in the loosening direction? • Which arrangement gives the least positive mechanical stop against rotation of the nut?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify that the locking plate tab is bent tightly against a full flat of the nut, not across a corner or point • Check that the plate is firmly supported under the nut and not relying on a thin, angled edge that could flex • Confirm that in the loosening direction, the nut would hit a solid, well‑supported face of the tab, not a weak tip or corner of metal