What is the range of hardness for pencils as a drawing tool?

The correct answer reflects the established range of pencil hardness, which is categorized by a grading system that includes numbers and letters. Pencils are graded on a scale from H (hard) to B (black), with HB indicating a medium hardness. The H grades are harder pencils that leave lighter marks, while B grades are softer and produce darker lines. The range typically extends from 9H to 9B for the highest levels of hardness and softness, respectively.

Given this understanding, the choice indicating a range from 10H to 10B implies an expansion of this scale, aligning with the idea that there are very soft pencils marked with B grades and very hard ones marked with H grades. However, in practice, most pencil manufacturers do not routinely produce beyond 8B or 8H, which aligns with existing standards.

In contrast, the other options suggest either too narrow of a range or values that do not exist in standard use, such as including a 1H grade or a limit that is not typically recognized in common art supplies. Therefore, while choice C indicates an expansive conceptual understanding of the ranges of pencil hardness, practical applications of pencil grading would more realistically suggest pencils typically go from H to B through various specified levels.