🔍 Key Concepts

• Wire rope breaking strain tables commonly used on USCG exams • Relationship between diameter of wire rope and safe working load (SWL) vs. breaking strain • Typical breaking strain values for 6x19 or 6x37 steel wire rope around 1/2" to 3/4" diameter

💭 Think About

• First, recall whether 5/8" steel wire rope would have a breaking strain closer to single‑digit tons or well above 10 tons. • Think about how much stronger 5/8" wire would be compared to a much smaller size (like 1/4" or 3/8"). Would 1.0 ton be reasonable for something this thick? • Estimate whether the increase in diameter from 1/2" to 5/8" would increase strength enough to push the breaking strain into the higher or lower range of the options.

✅ Before You Answer

• Check that you are thinking about breaking strain, not safe working load (SWL) – SWL is usually a fraction of breaking strain. • Compare the four choices and eliminate any that are clearly too low or too high for 5/8" steel wire rope based on typical table values. • Mentally place 5/8" between 1/2" and 3/4" wire sizes and estimate a reasonable strength range from standard tables before picking the closest choice.