🔍 Key Concepts

• Shoring and damage control on ships focuses on supporting weak structures safely. • Pressure is force divided by area: P = F / A. • Concentrated loads vs. distributed loads on a damaged bulkhead.

💭 Think About

• If you push with the same total force on a small area versus a large area, what happens to the pressure on that spot? • For a weakened bulkhead, is it safer to concentrate the load at one point or spread it out? Why? • Which option would be most likely to prevent further cracking or puncturing of the damaged structure?

✅ Before You Answer

• Recall that high pressure can worsen existing cracks or holes in a bulkhead. • Think about which choice best reduces the stress per unit area on the damaged bulkhead. • Eliminate any option that would focus force at a single structural point rather than distributing it.