ha, ha ha
2006-06-21 08:14:29 · 14 answers · asked by truckinglove22 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
Have you ever tried to buy a #1 pencil?
The pencil cartel has had the pencil market in a vice-like grip since the great depression.
Poor businessmen who lost their livelihoods during the great depression tried to make a living selling pencils in tin cups. But, the pencil cartel wanted their cut of the action - they soon shot the kneecaps off of #1 pencil vendors to keep #2's moving.
Its another sad, sad story of American Commercialism.
2006-06-21 08:19:41 · answer #1 · answered by Blim 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
heh..
In pencils, the #x refers to the lead's weight, or more aptly the graphite's weight.
A #1 pencil is soft and light and when used to write with is hard to read.
A #2 pencil is normal and is easily read
A #3 pencil is heavy and dark and easily read and absolutely easily smeared
Think of an artist.
#1 drawing pencil would be the sketchers pencil, trying to get the basic shape and form and definition
#2 drawing pencil would be the possible outliner, defining edges and making that black and white outline
#3 drawing pencil would be the shadower, clearly defining lines and shading the dark spots with just one rub of the point, then smeared easily to give it that smooth texture.
#2 pencils are used so much in today's society that they are indeed the tecnical Prima pencil. That is mostly due to the computer industry that was made to sensor tests taken in government applicatinos (such as schools, when tests are given in mass formation) The graphite is easily read by the eye and by the computer's sening the bubbled in answers (think of magnets)
if a #1 pencil was used, the answers could not be read
if a #3 pencil was used, the answers have the ability to smear and therfore marking more than one bubble and nullifying the answer.
2006-06-21 11:28:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because school boards around the country outlawed the #1 after the horrible pencil-to-the-jugular death of Principal MacPherson of Johnson Elementary in 1942. After that, they decided that only the #2 was worthy of marking the little dots on standardized tests.
2006-06-21 17:17:13 · answer #3 · answered by missgoddessrachel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well the number in the #2 pencil refers to the "weight" of the lead or the thickness of it.
2006-06-21 08:16:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same reason we park on driveways and drive on parkways.
Or why things sent by ship are called cargo while things sent by truck are called shipments.
Or why is there no "F" in phonics??
Or the more important questions:
Why does sour cream have an expiration date?
Why do they advertise Miracle Ear on the radio?
2006-06-21 08:48:42 · answer #5 · answered by jaydragon0 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
#1 is a much softer pencil :P
2006-06-22 14:53:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's an easily broken second sort pencil.
2006-06-21 12:42:40 · answer #7 · answered by nanettie j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-19 18:25:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Too soft, like this question
2006-06-21 08:16:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because there's always room for improvement.
2006-06-21 08:16:28 · answer #10 · answered by the Politics of Pikachu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋