You are lifting a one-ton weight with a swinging boom. When comparing the stresses on the rig with the boom at 20° to the horizontal to the stresses when the boom is at 60° to the horizontal, which statement is true?

Correct Answer: Option A — The stress on the heel block is less at 60°.

As the boom is raised from 20° to 60°, the compression thrust on the boom increases significantly while the tension on the topping lift also increases, but geometric vectors dictate that the specific load forces on the heel block decrease due to a more direct vertical load alignment.