The assertion holds that industries utilizing heavy, inexpensive, and weight-losing materials are situated near their raw material sources. This is accurate, as industries such as cement production, steel manufacturing, and paper mills require significant quantities of heavy raw materials like limestone, coal, and timber, which diminish in weight during processing. To mitigate transportation expenses, these facilities are typically established in proximity to the raw material origins.
The justification for this locational strategy is cost reduction through minimized transportation. For industries dealing with bulky, weight-losing materials, establishing operations close to their supply sources is critical to avoid prohibitive transportation costs that would otherwise inflate product prices. Consequently, the reason (R) accurately elucidates the assertion (A).
In conclusion, both assertion (A) and reason (R) are valid, and (R) provides a correct explanation for (A).