Exploding tree

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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/exploding-tree

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 primary stressors?Extreme thermal fluctuations (cold and heat) and high-energy electrical discharge (lightning)
2. What is the mechanism under cold?Ice formation within cells causes volumetric expansion, exceeding wood's tensile strength
3. Why do some trees explode when it's very cold?When the water inside a tree freezes, it expands about 9%, creating pressure that can crack the wood. These cracks are called frost cracks.
4. How can heat make a tree explode?Rapid heating makes the wood and its moisture expand quickly. If the expansion is uneven, the pressure can crack the tree, called heat cracks.

Anisotropic: Having properties that differ depending on the direction.
Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled.
Phase Transition: A physical process where a substance changes from one state to another (e.g., liquid to gas).