The Pencil

A pencil is one of the most useful tools in school. It has a wooden body with a gray core inside. The core is made of graphite, not lead. When you write, tiny bits of graphite rub off onto paper. You can erase pencil marks, which is very handy.

Where Pencils Came From

Long ago, people used pieces of lead to make marks. In the 1500s, a big lump of graphite was found in England. People cut it into sticks and wrapped them in string or wood. The modern wooden pencil was made in the late 1700s. A French inventor named Nicolas-Jacques Conte helped make it better.

Parts of a Pencil

A pencil has a few simple parts. The outside is usually made of soft wood like cedar. Inside is a thin rod of graphite mixed with clay. Many pencils also have an eraser on top. A metal ring holds the eraser in place.

Fun Facts

• One pencil can draw a line about 35 miles long.
• Pencils can write in space because they do not need gravity.
• Most pencils are painted yellow because of an old tradition from the 1890s.

Did You Know?

Pencils do not have lead in them. The gray core is made of graphite, which is a form of carbon.