🔍 Key Concepts

• Behavior of wind waves on the sea surface • How surface tension and viscosity affect wave action • Historical use of oil by mariners to modify sea conditions

💭 Think About

• Think about how waves become dangerous to small boats: is it more about their height or about the way they break? • If a thin film is placed on the water surface, does it tend to make the surface more smooth and stable, or more energetic and steep? • Which option best describes how reducing surface turbulence would change what you see in the wave crests?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice relates to how waves break rather than just their size or spacing • Consider which effect would make conditions appear calmer around a vessel in a seaway • Eliminate any option that would clearly make the sea rougher or more hazardous to small craft