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Question

Difficulty: MediumExplicit Main Idea

Passage:
On-Board Inert Gas Generation Systems (OBIGGS) protect military aircraft fuel tanks from catastrophic ignition by continuously displacing volatile oxygen with nitrogen-enriched air. During operational flights, fuel consumption creates an expanding ullage space inside fuel tanks that accumulates flammable hydrocarbon vapors. Without active inerting, electrostatic discharges or ballistic impacts could easily ignite this fuel-air mixture. By utilizing semipermeable hollow-fiber membranes to separate oxygen from compressed engine bleed air, OBIGGS delivers nitrogen-enriched gas directly into the tank ullage, maintaining oxygen concentrations safely below combustion thresholds.

Statement: The explicitly stated main idea of the passage is that OBIGGS safeguards aircraft fuel tanks against explosion by replacing oxygen with nitrogen-enriched air.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The statement is correct because the lead sentence explicitly asserts that OBIGGS protects aircraft fuel tanks from ignition by displacing oxygen with nitrogen-enriched air, and all subsequent sentences provide supporting context for this central claim.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the explicit topic sentence that defines the primary subject and assertion of the passage.
The first sentence directly states that On-Board Inert Gas Generation Systems (OBIGGS) protect military aircraft fuel tanks from catastrophic ignition by continuously displacing volatile oxygen with nitrogen-enriched air.
In expository and technical paragraphs, the explicit main idea is directly articulated by the author, frequently in the opening sentence.
2
Compare the provided statement against the identified explicit main idea.
The statement precisely matches the central claim regarding the purpose and mechanism of OBIGGS.
The supporting sentences elaborate on the hazard (flammable ullage space) and the technical process (membranes separating bleed air), both reinforcing the primary claim.

Key Concept

Explicit Main Idea Identification
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Explicit Main Idea

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