How Do Pencil Erasers Work?
How Do Pencil Erasers Work? Roman scribes wrote on papyrus with a thin rod made of lead, called a stylus. Lead is a soft metal, so the stylus left a light, legible mark. In 1564 a large graphite deposit was discovered in England. Graphite leaves a darker mark than lead, plus it’s non-toxic. Pencils began to be used, similar to the stylus, except with a wrapping to keep the user’s hands clean. When you erase a pencil mark, it’s graphite (carbon) you are removing, not lead. Answer: What Are Erasers? An eraser, called a rubber in some places, is an item used to remove the marks left by pencils and some types of pens. Modern erasers come in all colors, and may be made of rubber, vinyl, plastic, gum, or similar materials.
Question: How Do Pencil Erasers Work? Roman scribes wrote on papyrus with a thin rod made of lead, called a stylus. Lead is a soft metal, so the stylus left a light, legible mark. In 1564 a large graphite deposit was discovered in England. Graphite leaves a darker mark than lead, plus it’s non-toxic. Pencils began to be used, similar to the stylus, except with a wrapping to keep the user’s hands clean. When you erase a pencil mark, it’s graphite (carbon) you are removing, not lead. Answer: What Are Erasers? An eraser, called a rubber in some places, is an item used to remove the marks left by pencils and some types of pens. Modern erasers come in all colors, and may be made of rubber, vinyl, plastic, gum, or similar materials. A Little Eraser History Before the eraser was invented, you could use a rolled up piece of white bread (crusts cut off) to remove pencil marks (some artists still use bread to lighten charcoal or pastel marks).
