2007-03-17 08:50:01 · 4 answers · asked by STORMY K 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The "lead" in a pencil is actually graphite. They make it by mixing up graphite dust with some type of clay and water. Then they extrude the paste like a spaghetti and fire it in a kiln to harden it.
The wooden part of the pencil is actually two halves with a groove milled along the length on the inside. Put the stick of graphite innard in the groove, then glue the other half on top. Chop the long pencil stick to length and fit the little erasor thing on the end.
If you go open up a pack of new before they get sharpened and look at the ends, you can sometimes see the two halves of the wood have slightly different shades. That's the two pieces of wood that had slightly different colors before they glued them together.
2007-03-17 10:01:07 · answer #1 · answered by Elisa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They use graphite now, not lead for wooden pencils. So I heard. I think they form the graphite then insert in into the pencil. Maybe?
2007-03-17 16:26:52 · answer #2 · answered by . 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The lead is already in there, pencils are made from pencil trees.
2007-03-17 15:58:21 · answer #3 · answered by J B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
By not containing lead.
2007-03-17 15:57:08 · answer #4 · answered by Gigantic_Tager 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋