Increasing the electrical load carried

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong11% picked this

   Electrical utility companies typically increase the electrical load on their transmission lines on days on which the wind

   Too Strong: typically Out of Scope: utility companies On days with a strong cooling wind, electrical companies could potentially increase the load on their lines. They never want to overheat the lines, but a day with strong cooling winds gives them some cushion. Still, can we say that on more than 50% of days with strong cooling winds, electrical companies increase the load on their lines? No, we don't have any info about utility companies.

   11%
2. B

   Opposite5% picked this

   Transmission lines that run parallel to the prevailing winds can generally carry greater electrical loads than otherwise identical lines at a right

   The higher a load being carried, the more we need the wind to help us cool down those lines. Wind blowing across a line, at a right angle, cools it more than wind blowing parallel. So we would think, "a transmission line that gets hit by wind at a right angle will be cooled more than one hit by parallel wind, so we can carry a greater load on the right angle transmission line."

   5%
3. C

   Correct68% picked this

   The electrical load that a transmission line can carry without reaching its maximum operating temperature increases when

   Why this is right

   Again, this answer is dealing with the temperature dynamic between "bigger load = hotter" and "strong / right angle = cooler". This answer pairs up stronger winds with greater tolerance for higher loads. We're told that strong winds cool more than light winds. So transmission lines are cooler on windier days, and thus we could carry a greater load than usual without hitting the max temperature. Say that we can normally only carry a 60% load, because the temperature of the lines is 85 degrees and their max is 90 degrees. We try to leave a 5 degree buffer. If the wind picks up, it might cool those lines down from 85 degrees to 80 degrees. At that point we can increase the load from 60% to something higher, until the lines are again at that 85 degree temperature where we stop.

   Skill tested: Most Supported · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   68%
4. D

   Unknown Comparison: air temperature3% picked this

   Air temperature has less effect on the temperature of a transmission line than

   The passage never talks about air temperature, so we can't support any comparison involving air temperature.

   3%
5. E

   Unsupported: different maximum14% picked this

   The maximum operating temperature of a transmission line is greater on windy days than

   Windy days cool down the transmission lines. If they're normally 85 degrees when they're running on a calm day, then they're like 80 degrees on a windy day. But that doesn't change the maximum temperature they're allowed to get. If they're carrying the same load as as they do on a calm day, it just means that the lines are farther beneath the maximum temperature than they normally are.

   14%