During the drying process, moisture exits the wood primarily from which region?

• A. The surface
• B. The core
• C. Evenly from all regions
• D. The outside layers last

Answer: (A)

Moisture leaves wood mainly at the surface because evaporation occurs at the boundary between the wood and the surrounding air. Inside the wood, moisture moves toward this boundary by diffusion, and once it reaches the surface, it can escape into the air. The core can’t directly shed water to the environment without first diffusing outward, and the surface governs the rate of drying. The other ideas don’t fit because they imply interior loss or a drying pattern that doesn’t match how evaporation from the surface drives moisture loss.