‘Lead’ pencils

Real lead has not been used to make markings for a very long time, and it has never been used in pencils. This is a good thing, because lead is toxic. ABC Science is a source of further information.

The ‘lead’ in our pencils is really a type of carbon called graphite.

Carbon is interesting to us because it conducts electricity – sort of. Electricity can get through, but not easily.

If you connect a pencil into a circuit, be careful – it might get hot! Electrons give up some of their energy as they move through graphite in the form of heat.