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One way is to start with mohs scale which references the ability of one mineral to scratch another.
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How would a collector of minerals determine the hardness of an unknown mineral specimen.?
You start by scratching it and seek it's hardness. When you find its hardness, compare it to another mineral with the same hardness. If they look exactly the same, and have the same arrangements of minerals, then they are the exact same mineral.
How would collector of minerals determine the hardness of an unknown mineral specimen?
You start by scratching it and seek it's hardness. When you find its hardness, compare it to another mineral with the same hardness. If they look exactly the same, and have the same arrangements of minerals, then they are the exact same mineral.
How can you identify unknown minerals?
you need to determine; hardness, color, transparency, and how they break. Those 4 combined will identify most minerals. There are other tests, but they get more complicated.
How would a mineral collector determine the hardness of an unknown mineral specimen?
There are two ways. One way is to buy a scratch test kit and follow the instructions. They will tell you to try to scratch minerals of certain hardnesses and find the hardest one it can scratch. For example, if it scratches a mineral with a hardness of 6 but not one with a hardness of 7, the hardness would be between 6 and 7. If you do not have one of those available, you can try scratching common objects. Your fingernail is 1.5, a penny is 2.5, a pocketknife blade is 5.0, window glass is 5.5, a steel file is 6.5, and quartz is 7.0.
Scientists use this to determine a minerals resistance to being scratched?
A mineral's resistance to being scratched is known as it's hardness. You can determine hardness by scratching it with another material whose hardness is already known. If it can be scratched, then the hardness is lower. If the unknown leaves a scratch on the known material, then its hardness is higher.
Describe how to find the hardness of unknown mineral?
Minerals are tested for hardness by performing a scratch test. The unknown mineral is scratched with another object that the hardness is known. For example, a unknown mineral may be scratched with a piece of metal to compare the resistance.
How is the Mohs scale used?
by determing what minerals are the hardest and softest2.5-3 on the Mohs scale
Devised a scale to test the hardness of minerals?
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was created in 1812 by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs and is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science.
Why do you need to know hardness and streak to identify minerals?
Any identifying characteristics help when you are dealing with an unknown mineral. You have to use all of the clues at your disposal to make a proper identification. Streak and hardness are 2 important tests.
Why was Freidrich Mohs work important?
Mohs created the Mineral Hardness scale in 1822. It is a comparison table showing 10 common minerals and their relative hardness values. Scientists can use it to compare to other unknown minerals and for classification of minerals. In science you always want to be able to compare something to something else. So instead of saying something is soft or hard, the Mohs Scale gives a relative value to the description.
Which information would probably be most helpful to someone trying to identify a mineral sample?
Many igneous rocks can be identified by the position of their minerals.
What is the hardness of an unknown mineral that scratches glass but will not scratch quartz?
6.0
