Spaces containing gasoline-powered machinery or gasoline storage tanks on small passenger vessels should have ventilator ducts that extend to the bilges because __________.

Correct Answer: Option C — Gasoline vapors are heavier than air, tend to settle in the bilges, and create an explosion hazard

Gasoline vapors are significantly denser than air. Consequently, they naturally migrate to the lowest points of a vessel, such as the bilges. Extending ventilation ducts to the bilges is critical to effectively evacuate these heavy, flammable vapors and prevent the formation of an explosive atmosphere in the engine space.