Question

A cross-section of a tree trunk shows 20 dark-colored rings and 20 light-colored rings. What is the likely age of this tree?

Answer 1

The likely age of a tree that shows 20 light colored rings, and 20 dark colored rings is 20 years old. Each year of a tree's life is represented by a dark and a light part. The type of life that a tree has had can also be learned by looking at the rings. If rings are not even or concentric you can tell that a tree was leaning, or was growing in a windy area. You can also judge the health of a tree by how the rings are spaced.

Answer 2

Trees produce 2 colored rings per year and so by counting these rings you can have an idea as to how long the tree has lived. With 20 dark-colored rings and 20 light-colored rings, the tree is likely to have stood up for 20 years. I hope this helps.