The flare will provide illumination for approximately __ seconds.

• A. 24 seconds
• B. 36 seconds
• C. 48 seconds
• D. 60 seconds

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that how long a flare glows is fixed by its burn time—the amount of time the propellant burns inside the canister. For standard distress flares used on boats, that burn time is designed to deliver a bright signal for roughly 30 to 40 seconds. 36 seconds sits right in that common range, making it the closest match to the typical illumination duration of a standard flare. A shorter duration, like 24 seconds, would understate the signal time, while longer durations such as 48 or 60 seconds exceed what’s usual for these standard flares.