suppose you held a light and match to a solid hunk of wood and another match to a pile of shavings which form of would would catch a fire more easily

Answer 1

The pile of shavings would catch fire more easily than the solid hunk of wood. This is because the wood shavings have a larger surface area relative to their volume, allowing them to ignite more quickly when exposed to a flame. The smaller particles of wood require less energy to reach their ignition temperature, and they can also ignite due to the greater airflow around them, which provides more oxygen for combustion. In contrast, the solid piece of wood has a denser structure and a smaller surface area, making it harder to ignite without sustained heat.