On a vessel displacing 8,000 tons, what is the reduction in metacentric height due to free surface when a tank 45 feet long and 45 feet wide is partly filled with salt water?

Correct Answer: Option A — 1.22 feet

A 45 ft by 45 ft square tank partially filled with saltwater on an 8,000-ton displacement vessel generates a substantial transverse shift of the center of gravity, resulting in a calculated metacentric height reduction of 1.22 feet.