🔍 Key Concepts

• Section modulus and how shape affects strength-to-weight ratio • How buckling and load distribution work in different pillar shapes • Why ship designers care about saving weight while maintaining strength

💭 Think About

• Which shape resists compression and buckling equally well from all directions? • Which option would likely be heavier for the same strength – a solid shape or a shaped beam? • Between the beam-type shapes, which are more directional (stronger in one plane than another)?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which shapes have uniform strength in all directions around the pillar • Decide which option would give high strength without needing solid metal throughout • Eliminate any choice that would be strong but unnecessarily heavy for the same load