Final answer:
Gypsum wall board is manufactured with a dehydration process and chemically hydrated by water. During a fire, the water in the gypsum is sacrificed through calcination to protect the wood framing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gypsum wall board, also known as drywall or sheetrock, is chemically hydrated during its manufacturing process. The sheets of gypsum are manufactured with a process called dehydration. This means that they are chemically hydrated by water. During a fire, the water in the gypsum is lost through a process called calcination, where the water is sacrificed to protect the wood framing of the building from the heat.