The Eraser

An eraser is a small tool that removes pencil marks from paper. It is usually made of rubber or vinyl. Almost every student has an eraser in their pencil case or on the end of their pencil.

The History of the Eraser

Before erasers were invented, people used bread crumbs to rub out pencil marks. In 1770, an English scientist named Joseph Priestley discovered that a piece of natural rubber could erase pencil marks very well.

The rubber eraser became popular quickly. In 1858, an American named Hyman Lipman had the idea to attach an eraser to the end of a pencil. This simple idea made fixing mistakes much easier.

How Erasers Work

When you write with a pencil, tiny bits of graphite stick to the paper. An eraser works by being stickier than the paper. When you rub it across the page, the eraser picks up the graphite particles.

The little shavings that come off the eraser are actually bits of rubber mixed with the graphite. There are many kinds of erasers. Pink erasers, white erasers, kneaded erasers, and electric erasers are all used for different tasks.

Fun Facts

• Before rubber erasers, people used rolled-up bread to erase pencil marks.
• The pencil-top eraser was patented in 1858.
• Japan makes some of the best erasers in the world.

Did You Know?

Joseph Priestley, who discovered that rubber can erase pencil marks, is also famous for discovering oxygen.