Graphite is a gray crystalline form of carbon. Although a solid, it's molecules are able to slide over each other.
For this reason, graphite has two main uses:
- as lubricant in engineering
- as the main ingredient of the 'lead' in pencils.
Chemically/physically, graphite is described as a layered compound, and the layers are only fractions of a nanometer apart. Consequently the layers can be easily removed by slight friction. By brushing a block of graphite against paper, for example, marks will be made on the paper.
With a little more expertise, the marks can be controlled to make writing, which is made even easier if the graphite can be wrapped in something we can hold with our hands/fingers, but which doesn't shed its molecules so readily.
Wood would be good.
Graphite is therefore the ideal material for making pencils, where a little friction transfers molecules of graphite to the paper, to make marks of our choice.
So, graphite can be used to write a short story!
For more information, see Related links below.
