How long is a pencil?

A typical No. 2 pencil is 7.5 inches long with a 6.75-inch wooden shaft. Most No. 2 pencils are made from cedar with a hexagonal shaft. The lead is a mixture of graphite, clay and wax.

The hexagonal shape became standard when manufacturers realized a hexagon produced less waste than a circle, allowing them to create more shafts from each piece of wood. Also, a hexagonal pencil is less likely to roll off of desk. An average pencil has enough graphite in it to draw a line 35 miles long. As of 2015, the world's longest pencil is 1,061 feet long.