Lifting the mark
An eraser removes a pencil mark by sticking to graphite particles and pulling them away from the paper. The grey material is being lifted, rather than painted white.
The Naked Scientists’ explanation follows those particles out of the paper. A tiny office rescue operation is happening beneath your fingers.
There is no lead
Ordinary pencil “lead” is a mixture of graphite and clay. The American Chemical Society explains that more clay makes it harder and produces a lighter mark.
A thick, soft pencil line leaves more material to remove. Rub gently: attacking the mistake can damage the page as well as the mark.
Before the rubber
The ACS also notes an earlier erasing material: bread. A small mistake once had something in common with a sandwich.
Keep lunch and stationery separate for now. For another everyday object with a less obvious job, discover what H, B and HB mean on a pencil.