A Wonderleaf question
How does a pencil write?
a real page from the book
A pencil writes because its graphite is soft enough for rough paper fibers to scrape off tiny flakes. Those dark bits catch on the page, leaving a line wherever your hand moves the point. Pressing harder leaves more graphite behind.
The material is not lead; it is carbon arranged in thin slippery layers. That is also why erasers help: their rubber grips many loose specks and lifts them away, so a mistake can fade instead of soaking into the paper.
Wonder words
- graphite
- carbon
- fibers
- eraser
Try it out
Draw one line softly and one line firmly, then rub both with an eraser and compare what remains.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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