Pencil Pencil A pencil is an implement for writing or drawing constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing which prevents the core from being broken and/or from leaving marks on the user’s hand during use. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. They are distinct from pens, which instead dispense liquid or gel ink onto the surface being marked. Most pencil cores are made of graphite powder mixed with a clay binder. Graphite pencils (traditionally known as 'lead pencils') are
Lead tetrachloride Lead tetrachloride Lead tetrachloride, also known as lead(IV) chloride, has the molecular formula PbCl. It is a yellow, oily liquid which is stable below 0 °C, and decomposes at 50 °C. It has a tetrahedral configuration, with lead as the central atom. The Pb–Cl covalent bonds have been measured to be 247 pm and the bond energy is 243 kJ⋅mol. Lead tetrachloride can be made by reacting lead(II) chloride PbCl, and hydrochloric acid HCl, in the presence of chlorine gas (Cl), leading to the formation of chloroplumbic acid HPbCl. It is then converted to the ammonium salt (NH)PbCl by adding