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What are you referring when you address the hardness of a mineral?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
A minerals hardness is basically its tendency to scratch or be scratched by another mineral or object. For example if a mineral is very soft (Like Talc or Gypsum) then you can scratch it with your finger but if you have a very hard mineral such as diamond you will not be able to scratch it with anything other than another diamond. The hardness values are quantified in Mohs hardness scale using the numbers 1-10 with 1 being the softest (Talc) and 10 being the hardest (Diamond). Ordinary objects with a known hardness can be used to determine a minerals relative hardness by simply seeing if the object will scratch the mineral or not. Pencil lead=1.5, Fingernail =2.2-2.5, Penny=3.2-3.5, Pocketknife=5.1, Glass plate=5.5, Steel file=6.5, Streak plate=7.0
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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To what are you referring when you address the hardness of a mineral?
its ability to scratch another mineral
What will if you rub a mineral with the hardness of 3 with a mineral with a hardness of 9?
The mineral with hardness 3 will get scratched.
To what are you referring when you address the cleavage of a mineral?
the mineral's tendency to split along a smooth surface
What mineral of hardness of 7?
the mineral that has a hardness of 7 is "Quarts
What mineral has the greatest hardness?
The mineral with the greatest hardness is the diamond.
What is hardness of quartz mineral?
the mineral that has a hardness of 7 is "Quarts
What is the hardness of the ruby?
Ruby, a variety of the mineral corundum, has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
What is ment by a meant by a mineral's hardness?
Hardness is the measure of how easily a mineral is scratched.
Which mineral property is better for identifying a mineral Magnetism or hardness?
Hardness is better.
What do scientists use to determine mineral hardness?
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is generally used to determine the hardness of a mineral. The Mohs scale rates the ability of mineral to scratch or be scratched by another mineral.
Which mineral has a hardness of 2?
Gypsum is the mineral listed at 2 on the Mohs hardness scale.
What does the property of mineral hardness measure?
Hardness measures a mineral's resistance to being scratched.
