1 Materials and processes- woods

Question 1

Hardwood Definition

Answer 1

Hardwoods are not necessarily physically hard; some can be physically very soft. Hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees whose seeds are enclosed. Hardwood trees usually grow in warmer climates and take on average 80 to 100 years to reach maturity. They produce tough, strong timber and often have a close grain.
Hardwoods tend to be more expensive than softwoods due to the relatively long time they take to grow. Very often hardwoods come from very inaccessible places and this also adds to the cost.
There is also an environmental issue. There is some concern regarding the overharvesting of hardwoods due to the time it takes the trees to mature and ultimately replace.

Question 2

Hardwoods

Answer 2

Oak 
Mahogany 
Beech 
Jelutong
Balsa

Question 3

Softwood Definition

Answer 3

Softwoods are not necessarily physically soft. Softwood is the wood that comes from cone-bearing conifer trees. They have needles rather than leaves.
Softwoods grow quicker than hardwoods. On average they take 30 years to mature and can be produced in plantations where they can be forested and replanted.
Softwood is a managed resource. As a consequence, softwoods tend to be more inexpensive to buy than hardwoods. As a rule, softwoods are easier to work with than hardwoods.

Question 4

Softwoods

Answer 4

Pine (Scots/Parana)
Cedar
Larch
Redwood