Eli5:How erasers are able to erase?

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I was just wondering how are erasers able to remove what’s written using graphite on a paper?

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2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The graphite sticks to the eraser better than it sticks to the paper. The eraser then rolls over itself, trapping the graphite in all those little grey bits that go all over the place when you rub something out.

Some erasers work better than others, and some pencil markings are easier to rub out than others.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Could either be mechanical, or chemically.
The substance in the eraser might replace the ink in the paper, or scrape some paper fiber away. Or, it could chemically react with the ink or the paper and make the color goes away.