science project on burning wood and what type of wood burns slow or fast?

Question

this is a science project for exam. oak,pine, how fast they burn or slow all different types of wood

Answer 1

This is an old poem about the burning qualities of wood

WOOD HEAT
Beech wood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Chestnut's only good, they say
If for long it's laid away.
But ash wood new or ash wood old
Is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.

Birch and fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last.
Is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould -
E'en the very flames are cold;
But ash wood green and ash wood brown
Is fit for a queen with a golden crown.

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room
With an incense like perfume.
Oaken logs if dry and old
Keep away the winter cold.
But ash wood wet and ash wood dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.

Oak logs will warm you well,
If they're warm and dry.
Larch logs of pine wood smell
But sparks will fly.
Beech logs for Christmas time;
Yew logs heat well.
Scotch logs it's a crime
For anyone to sell.
Birch logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all.
Hawthorn logs are good to last,
If cut in the fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green.
Elm logs like smouldering flax;
No flames to be seen.
Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room.
Cherry logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.
But ash logs all smooth and gray,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come you way,
They're worth their weight in gold.
From Tree farm by John Estabrook

Answer 2

that's nice but if it is a science project then you will have to burn the wood ( what exactly are you looking for ? )

the other answer is how to do it - you will need controlled conditions ( wood same size - same moisture content - controlled environment ( container of some type with vent holes ))

i would choose a small flame ( propane torch ) use 1"x 1" x 1/2" cubes of wood ( easy to make ) place the wood inside a can ( food size ) grid of wire mesh top and bottom - apply the flame to the bottom for a set time then remove and time the burn

for moisture content buy all of the wood from the same indoor place - if you have the time you can dry the wood at 150 degrees for 12 hours in your oven and then leave it in your house for 48 hours this will ensure an equal moisture content even if the wood is wet to start with ( it will be 'bone dry' coming out of the oven and then stabilize with the indoor humidity )

Answer 3

Sounds interesting. How are you going to do it?
Are you going to try to get all the bits of wood the same size first and maybe weigh them so you can see if there's any correlation with density?
What are you thinking of burning them in and will you be interested in seeing how much oxygen they use or how much heat you get out of them, maybe whether the flames are hotter for some types of wood or something?

Answer 4

The Burning Properties of Wood
Below is a list of the most common woods for burning, there are more. It is worth remembering that ALL wood will burn better if split.

There is an old saying, "before starting a fire - collect the right wood." It is worth learning which wood is best for your fires as it will make life a lot easier. A natural result of tree recognition is to learn the burning properties of their woods

Alder: Poor in heat and does not last,

Apple: Splendid/ It bums slowly and steadily when dry, with little flame, but good heat. The scent is pleasing.

Ash: Best burning wood; has both flame and heat, and will bum when green, though naturally not as well as when dry.

Beech: A rival to ash, though not a close one, and only fair when green. If it has a fault, it is apt to shoot embers a long way.

Birch: The heat is good but it burns quickly. The smell is pleasant.

Cedar: Good when dry. Full of crackle and snap. It gives little flame but much heat, and the scent is beautiful.

Cherry: Burns slowly, with good heat. Another wood with the advantage of scent Chestnut. Mediocre. Apt to shoot embers. Small flame and heating power. Douglas Fir. Poor. Little flame and heat.

Chestnut: Mediocre. Apt to shoot embers. Small flame and heating power.

Douglas Fir: Poor. Little flame or heat.

Elder: Mediocre. Very smoky. Quick burner, with not much heat.

Elm: Commonly offered for sale. To bum well it needs to be kept for two years. Even then it will smoke. Vary variable fuel.

Hazel: Good.

Holly: Good, will burn when green, but best when kept a season.

Hornbeam: Almost as good as beech.

Laburnum: Totally poisonous tree, acrid smoke, taints food and best never used.

Larch: Crackly, scented, and fairly good for heat.

Laurel: Has brilliant flame.

Lime: Poor. Burns with dull flame.

Maple: Good.

Oak: The novelist's 'blazing fire of oaken logs' is fanciful, Oak is sparse in flame and the smoke is acrid, but dry old oak is excellent for heat, burning slowly and steadily until whole log collapses into cigar-like ash.

Pear: A good heat and a good scent.

Pine: Bums with a splendid flame, but apt to spit. The resinous Weymouth pine has a lovely scent and a cheerful blue flame.

Plane: Burns pleasantly, but is apt to throw sparks if very dry. Plum. Good heat and scent.

Plum: Good heat and aromatic.

Poplar: Truly awful.

Rhododendron: The thick old stems, being very tough, burn well.

Robinia (Acacia): Burns slowly, with good heat, but with acrid smoke.

Spruce: Burns too quickly and with too many sparks.

Sycamore: Burns with a good flame, with moderate heat. Useless green.

Thorn: Quite one of the best woods. Burns slowly, with great heat and little smoke. Walnut. Good, so is the scent.

Walnut: Good, and so is the scent. Aromatic wood.

Willow: Poor. It must be dry to use, and then it burns slowly, with little flame. Apt to spark.

Yew: Last but among the best. Burns slowly, with fierce heat, and the scent is pleasant.