Thursday, May 17, 2012

QOTD: Why are erasers pink?

While finishing Math yesterday The Student wanted to know: "Why are erasers pink?" After a google search we found the following answer on ehow.com.  

History
The beginnings of the modern eraser are traced to 1770, when Edward Nairne sold cubes of natural rubber from his shop in London. The pink eraser became common when Eberhard Faber began to manufacture the Pink Pearl in a factory he started in 1861.

Properties
Pumice, a type of volcanic rock, and organic rubber were combined to make the pink eraser. This combination created the distinct smell and color of the eraser.

Features
The pumice gives the pink eraser its abrasive quality without detracting from the softness of the rubber.

Function
Erasers are used to remove markings from surfaces, most often to remove pencil markings 
from paper.

Fun Fact
Papermate reported the sale of 132,000 Pink Pearl block erasers in 2008.

 


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