How do erasers work?

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

1368

Abstract

de of <b>graphite</b>. More specifically, graphite is made of the element <b>carbon</b>. When we write, the graphite sticks to the paper, leaving a mark.</p><p id="1a20">Erasers, on the other hand, are made of rubber. It’s combined with several other ingredients to make it more flexible, last longer, and have a particular colour.</p><p id="5b2a">What’s important is the addition of an abrasive. Abrasives are materials that are used for rubbing things and wearing them away via friction.</p><p id="0718">Ultimately what we have is a piece of rubber that can hold onto the graphite particles on the paper and take it away in the form of “eraser crumbs” which we brush off.</p><p id="13c5">Obviously, erasers aren’t just always sticky. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to rub it against the paper.</p><p id="2416">When we rapidly rub the eraser, friction and heat are created. In combination with the abrasives in the eraser, rubber is now able to wrap around the graphite particles as it detaches from the eraser.</p><p id="8d8e">The result is dark pieces of rubber which we manually remove from the workspace (<i>the graphite combined with the rubber makes it dark)</i>.</p><h2 id="4d3a">Rubber</h2><p id="04dd"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/eraser">The term “rubber” originates from the discovery that it can erase things from “rubbing out” marks. Origi

Options

nally, rubber was known as “caoutchouc,” which is still the current French word for rubber.</a></p><p id="cab1"><i>Thank you for reading. Follow and subscribe to <a href="undefined">Shu Hasegawa</a> for tips & stories on entrepreneurship, building your business, earning money, and writing. Help me by sharing this story; if you think it’s been worth your time.</i></p><p id="9902"><i>As writers, we are always in need of support and we greatly appreciate it. If you would like to see more from me and the other talented writers on this platform, <a href="https://medium.com/@shuhasegawa/membership">Join our Community and Get Unlimited Access to All My Articles and Every Article on Medium</a>:</i></p><div id="37c0" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/@shuhasegawa/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Shu Hasegawa</h2> <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*O68rJqZ_huw-gnJV)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

A mysterious everyday tool

Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is you try to correct them and ultimately learn from them.

One of the first things that come to mind when we try to materialize the concept of a “mistake” is an eraser. Erasers are probably one of the most common tools out there.

We’ve used these small pieces of rubber countless times throughout our childhood, from writing English essays to math questions on our homework.

Yet, it’s amusing how so few of us wonder how they actually manage to erase things. Much like the other things in our lives, we simply grew to understand and accept the way things are.

But if curiosity has finally led you to this question, fortunately, there’s a simple scientific answer to how erasers function.

The science

As most of us should know, the pencil marks erasers remove are made of graphite. More specifically, graphite is made of the element carbon. When we write, the graphite sticks to the paper, leaving a mark.

Erasers, on the other hand, are made of rubber. It’s combined with several other ingredients to make it more flexible, last longer, and have a particular colour.

What’s important is the addition of an abrasive. Abrasives are materials that are used for rubbing things and wearing them away via friction.

Ultimately what we have is a piece of rubber that can hold onto the graphite particles on the paper and take it away in the form of “eraser crumbs” which we brush off.

Obviously, erasers aren’t just always sticky. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to rub it against the paper.

When we rapidly rub the eraser, friction and heat are created. In combination with the abrasives in the eraser, rubber is now able to wrap around the graphite particles as it detaches from the eraser.

The result is dark pieces of rubber which we manually remove from the workspace (the graphite combined with the rubber makes it dark).