Texas FFA Nursery Landscape Practice Exam

A pencil lead that is soft, prints well, erases easily, and tends to smear easily is ________.

1. 2H

2. F

3. 9H

4. 3B

The correct answer is: 3B

The correct answer is associated with the properties of graphite pencils, which are graded based on their hardness. A pencil marked with "B" signifies that it is soft and made for creating darker lines. The larger the number in front of the B, like in "3B," indicates an even softer lead. Softer pencils are known for being able to print well, as they deposit more graphite on the paper, resulting in darker marks. They also erase easily due to the softer nature of the lead, which allows the graphite to lift off the paper more readily. Additionally, softer leads tend to smear because less pressure is required to transfer the graphite to the paper, making the lines more prone to smudging. The characteristics of softness, good print quality, ease of erasing, and tendency to smear align perfectly with the properties of a "3B" pencil. In contrast, pencils like "2H" and "9H" are graded as hard, which means they produce lighter marks, are less prone to smearing, and are generally more difficult to erase. "F" pencils may fall into a medium range but do not possess the same level of softness as "3B." Thus, "3B" is the appropriate choice based on