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What is a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched?
Mohs hardness, rough measure of the resistance of a smooth surface to scratching or abrasion, expressed in terms of a scale devised (1812) by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. The Mohs hardness of a mineral is determined by observing whether its surface is scratched by a substance of known or defined hardness.
Which mineral is most easily scratched?
Hardness
| mineral | Mohs hardness | observations on the minerals |
|---|---|---|
| quartz | 7 | scratches glass easily |
| topaz | 8 | scratches glass very easily |
| corundum | 9 | cuts glass |
| diamond | 10 | used as a glass cutter |
What is the scale called that is used to test how easily a mineral can be scratched compared to other minerals and objects?
Mohs Hardness Test
Earth Science The Mohs Hardness Test During the early 1800s, a German mineralogist named Friedrich Mohs devised a scale that tested mineral hardness, which means the resistance of a mineral to being scratched. This scale, which ran from 1 to 10, was named after Mohs, and is known as the Mohs Hardness Test.
How is mineral hardness measured?
The Mohs Hardness Scale is used as a convenient way to help identify minerals. A mineral’s hardness is a measure of its relative resistance to scratching, measured by scratching the mineral against another substance of known hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
Which of the following minerals is most easily scratched diamond quartz orthoclase calcite?
Diamond is the hardest mineral; no other mineral can scratch a diamond. Quartz is a 7. It can be scratched by topaz, corundum, and diamond….Mohs Hardness Scale.
| Hardness | Mineral |
|---|---|
| 3 | Calcite |
| 4 | Fluorite |
| 5 | Apatite |
| 6 | Orthoclase feldspar |
What mineral can scratch fluorite?
A mineral or other material with a higher hardness number can scratch anything with an equal or lower number. Thus, a copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum and talc, while a fingernail can scratch only gypsum and talc. A piece of quartz can scratch fluorite but it cannot scratch topaz.
What are mineral fractures?
Fracture is the property of a mineral breaking in a more or less random pattern with no smooth planar surfaces.
What minerals can be scratched with a fingernail?
| Hardness | Mineral | Test |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Talc | Fingernail (2.5) |
| 2 | Gypsum | |
| 3 | Calcite | Cooper coin (3) |
| 4 | Flourite | Knife blade (5.5) |
How is diamond hardness measured?
To measure the hardness of a diamond, or any mineral, we use a scale called the Mohs scale, named after its inventor, Friedrich Mohs. This method involves testing one mineral by seeing if another mineral has the capability of producing a scratch on it.
Does fluorite scratch easily?
A minerals rating on the hardness scale is determined by a scratch test. Since Fluorite is a 4 on the scale it means that fluorite can scratch all the minerals below it but not be scratched by them. Also if a penny can scratch a mineral it rates a 3, a fingernail is 2.5, knife blade 5.5, glass 5.5 and steel file 6.5.
What minerals can scratch calcite?
Thus, a copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum and talc, while a fingernail can scratch only gypsum and talc.
How do minerals break?
Definitions. Cleavage – The tendency of a mineral to break along flat planar surfaces as determined by the structure of its crystal lattice. These two-dimensional surfaces are known as cleavage planes and are caused by the alignment of weaker bonds between atoms in the crystal lattice.