Which statement about diesel-electric submarines is accurate?

Which statement about diesel-electric submarines is accurate?

• A. They can stay submerged indefinitely without surfacing.
• B. They require surface or snorkel to recharge batteries and have limited underwater endurance.
• C. They use a nuclear reactor to power propulsion.
• D. They discharge batteries into the sea to increase speed.

Answer: (B)

Diesel-electric submarines rely on battery power for propulsion when submerged, and they recharge those batteries using diesel engines run on the surface or at periscope depth with a snorkel. Because the batteries store a finite amount of energy and the diesel engines need air to run, the time they can stay underwater without surfacing is limited. To replenish battery energy, they must come up to the surface or use a snorkel to bring in air and recharge, which means they cannot remain submerged indefinitely. The other statements don’t fit how these submarines operate: they don’t use a nuclear reactor for propulsion, and you don’t discharge batteries into the sea to boost speed.

Diesel-electric submarines rely on battery power for propulsion when submerged, and they recharge those batteries using diesel engines run on the surface or at periscope depth with a snorkel. Because the batteries store a finite amount of energy and the diesel engines need air to run, the time they can stay underwater without surfacing is limited. To replenish battery energy, they must come up to the surface or use a snorkel to bring in air and recharge, which means they cannot remain submerged indefinitely. The other statements don’t fit how these submarines operate: they don’t use a nuclear reactor for propulsion, and you don’t discharge batteries into the sea to boost speed.