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Difficulty: EasyDrawing Logical Conclusions

Read the following passage:

During scheduled shipyard overhauls, steel vessel hulls are routinely fitted with zinc sacrificial anodes below the waterline. Zinc oxidizes more readily than the surrounding steel hull plates, causing galvanic corrosion to consume the zinc blocks while leaving the structural steel intact. If an inspection reveals that the zinc anodes have completely dissolved, electrolytic action will immediately begin degrading the steel hull plates. Therefore, regular replacement of depleted anodes is required to prevent hull thinning.

Statement: Based on the passage, a vessel whose zinc sacrificial anodes have completely dissolved is at an increased risk of sustaining structural damage to its steel hull.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The conclusion is logically sound because the text establishes that sacrificial zinc anodes prevent electrolytic action on the steel; without them, the steel degrades and thins, increasing structural risk.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary protective function of zinc anodes described in the text.
Zinc anodes corrode preferentially to shield the surrounding steel hull from galvanic corrosion.
Understanding the baseline protective mechanism is necessary to evaluate the effect of its failure.
2
Analyze the consequences described when zinc anodes are fully dissolved.
The text states that electrolytic action immediately begins degrading the steel plates, resulting in hull thinning.
This establishes the direct causal relationship between depleted anodes and physical deterioration of the hull.
3
Evaluate whether the conclusion in the statement logically follows from the premises.
Because thinning of the hull plates constitutes structural degradation, the vessel faces a heightened risk of structural hull damage.
Synthesizing the consequence of hull degradation validates the logical conclusion stated.

Key Concept

Drawing logical conclusions by synthesizing cause-and-effect relationships and stated constraints in technical passages.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Drawing Logical Conclusions

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