Blackboard

Ablackboard(UK English) orchalkboard(US English;

alsoblackboard) is a reusablewritingsurface on which
text or drawings are made with sticks ofcalcium sulfateor
calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as
chalk. Blackboards were originally made of smooth, thin
sheets of black or dark greyslatestone. Modern versions
are often green because the colour is considered easier on
the eyes.

Design

A blackboard can simply be a piece of board painted withmattedark

paint(usually black or dark green). Black plastic sign material, using the
trade name sintra is also used to create custom chalkboard art.
Examples can be seen atChalk It Up Signs. A more modern variation
consists of a coiled sheet of plastic drawn across two parallel rollers,
which can be scrolled to create additional writing space while saving
what has been written. The highest grade blackboards are made of a
rougher version porcelain enamelled steel (black, green, blue or
sometimes other colours). Porcelain is very hard wearing and
blackboards made of porcelain usually last 1020 years in intensive use.

History
Lecture theatres may contain a number of blackboards in a grid
arrangement. The lecturer then moves boards into reach for writing and
then move them out of reach, allowing a large amount of material to be
shown simultaneously.
The chalk marks can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth, a sponge or a
specialblackboard eraserconsisting of a block of wood covered by a felt
pad. However, chalk marks made on some types of wet blackboard can be
difficult to remove. Blackboard manufacturers often advise that a new or
newly resurfaced blackboard be completely covered using the side of a
stick of chalk and then that chalk brushed off as normal to prepare it for
use.

Chalk sticks
Sticks of processed "chalk" are produced especially for
use with blackboards in white and also in various colours.
These are often made not fromchalkrockbut from
calcium sulfatein itsdihydrateform, CaSO42H2O (
gypsum). Chalk sticks containingcalcium carbonate
typically contain 40-60% of CaCO3(calcite).

Advantages and disadvantages

As compared towhiteboards, blackboards have a variety of advantages:

Chalk requires no special care; whiteboard markers must be capped or else they dry out.
Chalk is anorder of magnitudecheaper than whiteboard markers for a comparable amount of writing.
It is easier to draw lines of different weights and thicknesses with chalk than with whiteboard
markers.
Dashed lines can be drawn very quickly using a technique involving the friction of the chalk and
blackboard.
Chalk has a mild smell, whereas whiteboard markers often have a pungent odour.
Chalk writing often provides better contrast than whiteboard markers.
Chalk can be easily erased; writing which has been left on a whiteboard for a prolonged period may
require a solvent to remove.
Chalk can be easily removed from most clothing; whiteboard markers often permanently stain fabric.

 On the other hand, chalk produces dust, the amount depending on the
quality of chalk used. Some people find this uncomfortable or may be
allergicto it, and according to the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), there are links between chalk dust
and allergy and asthma problems.[1]The dust also precludes the use of
chalk in areas shared with dust-sensitive equipment such ascomputers
.
Thescratching of fingernails on a blackboard , as well as other pointed,
especially metal objects against blackboards, produces a sound that is
well known for being extremely irritating to most people.