Question

A train operator on the transit system knows that if one shoe of a subway car is touching the third rail, the number of shoes alive on that car is ________.

Answer 1

The number of "shoes alive" on the car would be one if only one shoe is touching the third rail, referring to the contact shoes that are electrified.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question seems to use terminology specific to the operation of subway systems, where the phrase "shoes alive" most likely refers to the contact shoes (current collectors) that are in contact with the third rail and thus "alive" with electrical current. While this question presents a technical aspect, we can derive from context that the number of shoes alive on the car would be one if only one shoe is touching the third rail. This is a technical detail rather than an ethical problem or a broader physics concept.