A student researching architecture has taken notes:
• Gothic cathedrals used flying buttresses to support high walls • Buttresses transferred roof weight outward and downward • This innovation allowed for much larger windows • Stained glass windows filled cathedrals with colored light • Notre-Dame de Paris is a famous example of Gothic architecture
The student wants to explain how buttresses enabled Gothic design.
Notre-Dame de Paris exemplifies Gothic architectural achievements.
Flying buttresses transferred weight outward, allowing Gothic cathedrals to have thinner walls with larger stained glass windows that filled interiors with light.
Stained glass windows filled Gothic cathedrals with colored light.
Flying buttresses supported the high walls of Gothic cathedrals.
Correct Answer: B
Choice B. Weight transfer enabling larger windows explains how buttresses enabled Gothic design.