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Materials Science Science Fair Project

Moisture and Wood Shrinkage

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Moisture and Wood Shrinkage | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
How much does wood shrink when it dries out? Different types of wood hold moisture in different amounts. You cut identical blocks of redwood, teak, black oak, and red maple. Then you measure each block with a caliper and dry them in an oven at 100 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. After drying, you measure the blocks again. The shrinkage happens mostly along the growth rings. Black oak shrinks the most, while redwood shrinks the least.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that humidity will cause different types of wood to expand and shrink at different rates.

Method & Materials

You will cut four different types of wood into blocks, measure their dimensions, dry them in an oven, and measure their dimensions again.
You will need a redwood block, a teak wood block, a black oak wood block, a red maple block, a caliper, an oven, gloves, and a black marker pen.

Results

It was observed that all four types of wood showed significant shrinkage along their growth rings after they were dried in the oven. The biggest change was in the black oak wood and the least change in dimensions was observed in the redwood.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how humidity can affect the size of different types of wood, and how experienced wood workers and carpenters need to understand this behavior of wood in order to effectively plan and implement projects.

Also Consider

Consider using more than one piece of each type of wood for the experiment, for more accurate results. Try this science fair project with other types of woods such as birch, fir, pine or hemlock.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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