Question

Perpendicular to the grain wood shrinks most in the direction of the annual growth rings and about ____ as much across the rings (radially)

Answer 1

Wood shrinks more tangentially, across the annual growth rings, than radially, due to seasonal variations in the vascular cambium's cell production.

Step-by-step explanation:

Perpendicular to the grain, wood shrinks most in the direction of the annual growth rings, which are visible as alternating patterns of early and late wood. Throughout the seasons, the vascular cambium produces cells with varying characteristics, creating these visible rings. Generally, the wood shrinks more in the tangential direction (perpendicular to the grain and across the rings) than in the radial direction (across the rings, radially).