What is the silvery substance at the center of pencils comprised of?

Correct answer: A mixture of graphite and clay

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What people think about it: 22 Comments

Birdie

perhaps it should have been phrased as "modern day" pencils.

ChampionNymph37634

They should change the name of this game to "Irritating Society of Hairsplitters"

skalle13

Birdie, lead was never used in pencils. It has always been graphite. The lead in the paint on pencils was the issue in early 20th century.

Ironstine

at the time they found graphite rock was useful for pencils, they called it lead black. it was like lead, but more black. it was actually a type of coal... graphite.

tinabobina

Cú Chulainn, also 'comprised of' implies more than one substance. A hidden clue there ...

Shellback

The hardness or softness of a pencil is dependent upon the graphite to clay ratio.

Player #25874027

Player #1399462, All write(joke) I will teformilate the question for you . To: If a pencil were to have been made on 18 August 2019 , what would be the likely formulation of the central strip which is used for leaving a mark on a paper or paper like substance? Or is that a bit vague?

Birdie, they did. "what IS the substance" not "what WAS the subtance"

Player #24358685

Birdie, When they ask for pencils, why would you assume anything other than modern-day pencils? if tbey ask for the capital of India, would you say they should say "modern-day"" India? Our language isn't like that. It asks "is."