The pencils give us second chances to correct mistakes.

So, friends what are we waiting for, let's talk about the Invention of Pencils today.

Well before we directly jump on to pencils, I want you to tell me what are pencil leads made of. Are you thinking, come on put some pressure on the brain cells? Oh yes, you got that right. Pencil leads are made of Graphite. 

If you haven't seen my previous article on The Invention of Bulb you can have it from here: The Invention which has Enlighten the Whole World- The Light Bulb

 The Invention of Graphite

Well, graphite was discovered in Borrowdale, England in the early 1500s. The story goes that one fine day, the locals saw some uprooted trees. When they try to investigate, they came across a strange dark or underneath. But they don't know what is it. They thought that we should mark our sheep, doing that we know which sheep belongs to whom 

Property of Graphite 

Graphite is made up of layers of carbon atoms. These carbon atoms look like flat sheets on top of each other connected by bonds that are kind of weak. This allows the sheet of carbon atoms to slide easily. So, when you drag a piece of graphite across a piece of paper, it leaves a mark. Wow! who knew there is so much going on in such a simple-looking thing. 

Did you know, people found how messy it was to use a graphite stick. They originally used string or cloth to cover the graphite. Then, who came up with the idea of using wood? Let's Find out!

It is believed that an Italian couple came up with this genius idea in 1560. However, later in 1795, an officer in the napoleon army, Nicolas Jacques Conte came up with what we see as modern pencils today.

The Process of Making Pencils

The process was simple, he roasted a mixture of water, clay, and graphite at 1900 Fahrenheit and encased a small wooden covering over it. But what's the use of this mixture when graphite worked so well? This mixture helped him create different kinds of pencils, the more the clay mixture had the lighter the stroke of the pencil and this is how the HB Scale was invented.

Fun Facts

1. In the HB Scale, H stands for Hard and B stands for Black.

2. Graphite has been derived from the Greek word 'Graphene' which means ' To Write'.

So, Friends. 

I have a question for you all!

Where was Graphite was discovered?

Till the time you rack your brain to come up with the right answer. I'll go make some sketches with Pencils. Do write your answers in the comment section below.

Bye! 

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