"Why Do" Wednesday - Why Do Pencils Have Numbers?
Those school supply lists always call for #2 pencils. Or when you are filling out those bubble sheets for a test, they also call for a #2 pencil. They are easy to find in almost any store as #2 is the standard. But what does that even mean?!
Well, there is a thing called the HB Graphite Grading Scale. This basically tells you how hard and how black the graphite is. HB or the #2 is in the middle and is the typical hardness and blackness for most applications.
Well, there is a thing called the HB Graphite Grading Scale. This basically tells you how hard and how black the graphite is. HB or the #2 is in the middle and is the typical hardness and blackness for most applications.
So the higher the number the harder or blacker it gets. On the chart above you can see 9H is very hard, but not so dark and a very light shade. Where as if you go to 9B it is very soft, but also very black and dark.
But why have all these different types of hardness and blackness? Well for the average pencil user just stick with your beloved #2 or HB pencil, but if you are an artist and like to draw or you just want something lighter or darker you can use some or all of the other varieties.
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