Final answer:
The variable 'hardness' is limited to the pencil class and is accessible to all instances of this class but not outside of it. It is a class variable shared across all instances of the pencil class.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scope of the variable hardness is limited to the pencil class. It is a class variable that has been set within the pencil class, meaning it is accessible to all instances of the pencil class, but not outside of it. Variables defined in this way are class-level attributes, which means that they are not specific to any instance of the class but are shared across all instances. Therefore, the variable hardness is not restricted to just the pencilCase class or the main part of the program; it is specific to the pencil class and any instance of that class, such as pencilA.