A board foot measures the lumber by which property?

A board foot measures the lumber by which property?

• A. Weight
• B. Length
• C. Area
• D. Volume

Answer: (D)

A board foot measures volume. It tells you how much wood there is in a piece, not how heavy it is or how long or wide it is on its own. One board foot equals the volume of a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long—that’s 144 cubic inches, or 1/12 of a cubic foot. Because weight varies with species and moisture, using volume keeps the quantity consistent across different boards. To calculate board feet, multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet, then divide by 12. For example, a 2-inch-thick, 6-inch-wide board that’s 10 feet long yields (2 × 6 × 10) ÷ 12 = 8 board feet. So the property measured is volume.

A board foot measures volume. It tells you how much wood there is in a piece, not how heavy it is or how long or wide it is on its own. One board foot equals the volume of a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long—that’s 144 cubic inches, or 1/12 of a cubic foot. Because weight varies with species and moisture, using volume keeps the quantity consistent across different boards. To calculate board feet, multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet, then divide by 12. For example, a 2-inch-thick, 6-inch-wide board that’s 10 feet long yields (2 × 6 × 10) ÷ 12 = 8 board feet. So the property measured is volume.