Pen vs Pencil
Material that we use to make a pen and pencil is one major difference between them. As we all know pen and pencil are the most common tools used to write down on a piece of paper or a copy, and they are most important tools for a kid when he is learning to jot down on paper all that he has learnt from his teachers. However, they are different from each other in every detail. Both leave behind an impression on a piece of paper, but that is where the similarity between a pen and a pencil ends. There are many differences between a pen and a pencil that will be talked about in this article.
Even before pen or pencil came into existence, man had developed written language, and without the tools to jot down on paper (or even natural objects like animal skin or cloth), this would have been impossible. The first objects used to write by human beings were feathers of birds, and they dipped the tip of these feathers in inks to leave impression on paper. Bamboo sticks were also used by ancient Indians to write almost in 500 BC.
What is a Pencil?
A pencil is a popular tool for writing purposes as well as drawing purposes. It is made of wood and has a core inside that is made of graphite. When this core is made pointed with a sharpener and used to write on paper, it leaves behind solid graphite in a very thin layer on the piece of paper that adheres to paper or any other surface it is used upon. Pencils, being made of graphite, leave behind dark grey or black impressions though, there are also colored pencils in vogue (mainly for artistic purposes). Students begin their formative years of learning with these pencils and later graduate to pens when they are mature enough to handle ink pens. Before the 1500s, a pencil was something that had a thin rod composed of soft lead. At that time it was mostly used by artists. The Latin word for pencil was ‘penicillus’ which was the origin of the English word. It meant ‘little tail.’
What is a Pen?
A pen is the next sophisticated invention of man for writing. A pen is made of either plastic or metal. Sometimes you will see that some pens come as a combination of both. It was in the nineteenth century that fountain pens were invented, and brought about a revolution in writing. However, since the invention of ball pens, fountain pens are rarely used as these ball pens leave behind minimum of ink on paper that dries as soon as one writes on paper. Just like a pencil, when you write using a pen, an impression is made on the paper. Here, the impression is made using ink. There are pens in various colors. The most used colors are blue, black, and red. Red color is very much reserved for teachers for marking the students’ books. In 2006, 57 units of pens were sold for a second around the world. It shows how important a pen is for everyone. This makes pen one of the most commercially successful tools of all times.
What is the difference between Pen and Pencil?
• Purpose:
• Pencil is used when you may have to change the impression later on.
• Pen is used when you want to leave a permanent impression.
• Material:
• Pencils are almost always made of wood.
• Pens are made of plastic or metals.
• Writing method:
• Pencils contain graphite in their core that leaves behind a solid layer of graphite that is dark grey or black in color.
• Pens leave behind inks that stain the light colored paper.
• Classification:
• Pencils are classified according to their hardness and blackness.
• Pens are mostly fountain and ball pens.
• Erasing:
• It is easy to erase words written by a pencil through an eraser, which is why kids are made to work with pencils initially. You can erase everything you have written without dirtying your page. However, for that you should have a good eraser.
• Erasing what you have written using a pen is not a smooth process as erasing something written from a pencil. There are erasers capable of erasing pen writing. At the same time, you can use correction fluid to erase what you have written using a pen. However, that does not appear neatly.
• Durability:
• Pencil can be used as long as you can sharpen the point of the pencil. Every time you sharpen the pencil, it becomes shorter. Once there is no more space to sharpen the pencil, you have to start using a new one.
• Pen can be used as long as it has ink. Once the ink is over you have to buy a new pen. For pens that can be refilled, you can use the pen again and again.
Despite most of the written work being done today is in word processors, both pens and pencils continue to be used by kids as well as adults.
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