In the Q = n1/M1 + n2/M2 + n3/M3 formula, which statement is true?

• A. Q must be greater than one for shipment.
• B. Q is irrelevant to shipment.
• C. Q must be equal to or less than one for shipment.
• D. Q must be equal to zero.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is capacity utilization. Each term n_i/M_i represents how much of the allowable capacity in category i is used, and Q is the total of these fractions. For a shipment to be acceptable, this total usage must stay within the available capacity, so it should be equal to or less than one. If the sum exceeds one, the shipment would exceed the capacity or constraints. A value of zero would mean no cargo at all, and saying Q is irrelevant would ignore the capacity check. Therefore, the correct condition is that Q must be equal to or less than one.