Ebony

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ebony

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Genus Diospyros, family Ebenaceae
2. What is the primary habitats?Tropical and subtropical rainforests and monsoon forests of Africa and Asia
3. What is ebony wood and why is it so dark?Ebony is a very dense hardwood from the Diospyros family. Its heartwood is dark because it has lots of natural oils and tightly packed cells that give it a black or dark brown color.
4. Why does ebony sink in water?Ebony is extremely heavy and dense. Some species, like Macassar and Gaboon ebony, are so dense that they sink when you put them in water.

Ebenaceae: The botanical family to which ebony and persimmon trees belong, known for producing dark, dense woods.
Specific Gravity: The ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, often water; a value greater than 1 means it sinks in water.
Heartwood: The older, central wood of a tree trunk, typically denser and darker than the surrounding sapwood.