Pencil marks adhere to paper through mechanical interlocking and Van der Waals forces.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
2 sources for · 0 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Expert discussion confirms that pencil marks adhere to paper both through mechanical entrapment between paper fibers and through intermolecular forces like London dispersion forces.
# Interaction between a pencil and rubber (eraser)
- Tags: everyday-chemistry, intermolecular-forces, adsorption
- Score: 6
- Views: 1,512
- Answers: 1
- Asked by: MattB (77 rep)
- Asked on: Feb 22, 2017
- Last active: Mar 20, 2017
- License: CC BY-SA 3.0
---
## Question
Is there a interaction between a graphite pencil and and a eraser. For example, if I drew a line on a piece of paper and then erased that, what interaction is occurring?
Is it a Van der Waals interaction with intermolecular forces or is something else?
---
## Answer 1 — Score: 2
- By: airhuff (17,862 rep)
- Answered on: Mar 20, 2017
There was much discussion in the comments to the OP regarding whether erasing a pencil mark is a chemical process or merely a mechanical process, akin to removing an oil spill with high pressure water (my analogy). But I think the answer to "Is it a Van der Waals interaction with intermolecular forces" is clearly yes.
Although the classic "pencil head" eraser generally requires a vigorous rubbing action to rapidly remove a pencil mark, even this can be done in a manner that shows pencil marks that had been bound to the paper via intermolecular forces are transferred to a mater
# How are pencil marks "adhered" to the paper?
Tags: everyday-chemistry, intermolecular-forces, carbon-allotropes
- Score: 7
- Views: 4907
- Answers: 1
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: M.A.R. (10942 rep)
- Asked: 2015-01-21
- Edited: 2015-01-21
- Site: chemistry
## Question
Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. Wikipedia
Normal paper is mainly composed of cellulose fibers, which were "funded" by the plants. And this "solid core material" is supposedly composed of graphite and a type of binder clay.
Image source
"Adhering" is usually caused by intermolecular forces. (e.g.: when sugar adheres to wet surfaces because of Hydrogen bonding). The questions are:
Is the case of a pencil mark some kind of intermolecular force too?
If so, what is it?
## Answers
### Answer by Fred Senese (score: 7 [ACCEPTED])
The graphite itself can adhere to paper fibers with London forces; it's not a strong adhesion because the marks can be erased easily. Some of the graphite is just mechanically stuck between the paper fibers; rubbing a mark from a soft pencil can easily blur it. Enough graphite is
Everything we examined (2) — 1 independent source
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.