LSAT 151 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q17

LR Question 17 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Increasing the electrical load carried on a transmission line …

QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported

FACTS:

1. More electrical load = hotter line
2. Too much heat = line exceeds its maximum operating temperature
3. Stronger winds blowing across cool the line more than lighter, parallel winds.

ANALYSIS: The line has a maximum operating temperature. That’s the key factor to think about.

Once you identify that, everything becomes about temperature management.

Think of it like this:

• Adding electrical load = turning the heat up
• Wind = cooling mechanism

It’s the same logic as a laptop with a better fan. If your laptop overheats when pushed too hard, but you improve cooling, you can push it harder before it overheats.

So if cooling (wind) increases, the line can tolerate a higher load before hitting its maximum temperature. That’s C.

___________

1. Way too speculative. Even if stronger wind would allow more load safely, nothing tells us what utility companies actually choose to do in practice.
2. Opposite. The stimulus says crosswind cools more, so the line getting better cooling would be the one perpendicular to the wind, not parallel.
3. CORRECT. Better cooling means the line can tolerate more load before overheating.
4. Air temperature was never mentioned, so we can’t compare its importance to wind speed.
5. Sneaky wording trap. Wind can help the line stay cooler, but that doesn’t mean the maximum allowed temperature itself changes.