Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Balsa
Balsa (Ochroma lagopus, synonym O. pyramidale) is a large, fast-growing tree to 30 m tall, native from tropical South America north to southern Mexico. It is evergreen, or dry-season deciduous if the dry season is long, with large (30-50 cm) weakly palmately lobed leaves.
The timber is very soft and light with a coarse open grain. The density of balsa wood ranges from 100-200 kg/m³, with a typical density of about 140 kg/m³ (about one third the density of ordinary wood). This makes it a very popular material for model making and buoyancy materials (lifebelts, etc), and was famously used by Thor Heyerdahl in his raft Kon-Tiki.
Despite its softness, balsa is classified as a hardwood.
External links
- See also Balsa (email client)
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details