Question 2484 Deck Safety

The correct answer is D) 1.71 feet. To calculate the reduction in metacentric height due to free surface in a hold with free water, we can use the formula: Reduction in GM = bl^2 / 12 * Displacement Where: b = width of the hold (60 feet) l = length of the hold (50 feet) Displacement = 15,000 tons Plugging in the values, we get: Reduction in GM = 60 ft * 50^2 ft^2 / 12 * 15,000 tons = 1.71 feet The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not match the result calculated using the formula for free surface effect.