Question 2179 Deck General

The correct answer is A) protect it from corrosion due to contact with saltwater. Wire rope is galvanized, which means it is coated with a layer of zinc, in order to protect the underlying steel from corrosion when the wire rope is used in marine environments or other applications where it may come into contact with saltwater or other corrosive elements. The zinc coating acts as a sacrificial anode, corroding instead of the steel and thus preventing the steel from deteriorating prematurely. The other answer choices are incorrect because: B) increasing the circumference of the wire rope would not be the reason for galvanizing it, C) galvanizing does not increase the strength of the wire rope, and D) galvanizing does not make the wire rope bend more easily.