Physics of Pushing a Pencil Thesis

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According to Newton, "To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction; or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts," (Zimmerman, 2008). In the act of pushing a pencil, the energy placed into pushing the pencil does not simply disappear with the writing. Most people write on flat, hard surfaces, such as wooden or acrylic desks. When these desks are met with the energy of the pencil, it creates friction which is essentially the next transfer move of the energy originating from the writer. This friction occurs dues to the hard surface being unable to continue moving the energy from the pushed pencil, and forces it to find new facets, (Benson, 2008). This frictions forces energy back onto the pencil and creates heat as well as sound vibrations and waves, which further transfer the energy. Although these noticeable signs of friction are relatively unknown to the average pencil user, they are the eventual transmissions of the originating energy. The level of friction created by writing is directly dependent on the amount of force which is placed on the pencil. The harder one writers, the more friction one encounters and the more energy is distributed into transferred heat and sound waves.

The friction met by the pencil in the act of writing is also affected by the angle which the writer places the pencil on the hard surface which he or she is writing on. Different angles represent different points of impact and will therefore distribute the energy differently, (Egler, 1995).
Certain angles will create the maximum amount of friction and force, such as writing with the pencil directly vertical. This creates a wider point of impact for more energy to be distributed over a wider surface, causing slower writing and wider lines with the maximum levels of friction. Other, sharper angles create less friction due to a smaller point of impact. This creates a much different writing style, with less force placed upon the pencil and less friction encountered by the writer, resulting in finer and lighter lines.

Therefore all of the components necessary for writing all of one's notes, grocery lists, and every other piece of writing one has every written depends on the source of the energy -- the individual. No individual writes exactly the same, therefore the different levels of force and friction are unique to each and every individual. People also have their ways of holding their pencils, changing the angles and creating different styles of friction between the pencil and the paper. This leads to the conclusion that the individual carries much more responsibility in the act of writing than one would think.

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