ELIF: What’s the difference between a number 2 pencil and a pencil that isn’t labeled number 2? And if number 2s are almost always required why not just only make number 2 pencils?

Question

ELIF: What’s the difference between a number 2 pencil and a pencil that isn’t labeled number 2? And if number 2s are almost always required why not just only make number 2 pencils?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

The #2 specifies the hardness of the graphite inside the pencil. The harder the graphite, the lighter the color that gets made. #2 pencils are usually specified for machine-readable documents because that’s what the scanner is set for. Other grades/hardness of pencils are used for other items, such has carpenter pencils being much harder because they have to be drug across materials like concrete.