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Using Mohs scale of hardness for minerals, you can--with a bit of detective work--find out the hardness of Granite, Limestone and Marble.

But I think that we can do a bit of reasoning and figure out for ourselves the order of hardness for these stones.

First off, knowing that Limestone is a sedimentary stone, Granite is a metamorphic stone and Marble is igneous stone, can give you some idea how these stones measure against each other in hardness.

Alright, sedimentary stone is laid down, layer on top of layer, until it compresses enough to create a stone. Then igneous stone is created by magma being cooled and becoming a solid stone. Metamorphic stone is changed--with pressure and heat, creating a metamorphosis to another stone entirely.

Thinking how each of the stones, which do you think would be the softest, the hardest, then the one left would be between the two others.

I would deduct that Limestone would probably be the softest, as it is layer upon layer--not really going through much change or pressure to become Limestone. Now, to figure out which of the two left over might be the hardest. I would suggest the stone which has gone through the most heat and pressure would be the hardest. The stone which qualifies as the most changed, would be the metamorphic rock, Granite. What you have left over, is the igneous rock, Marble. To check if that truly would be the middle hardness, it was created with heat, which would be more "processing" than just layered like Limestone, but wasn't as "processed" as heat AND pressure as Granite was. So it appears that Marble would fit between Limestone as the softest, and Granite as the hardest.

Now you have deduced how to determine the order of hardness between Limestone, Marble and Granite.

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How limestone become marble?

Limestone can become marble through a process called metamorphism. When limestone is subjected to heat and pressure deep in the Earth's crust, its mineral composition changes, creating the crystalline structure and characteristic patterns that define marble. This process usually takes millions of years and transforms the original limestone into a harder, more dense, and more vibrant rock known as marble.


Is limestone heavier than granite?

No, granite is usually heavier than limestone. Granite is a denser and more compact rock, composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, and mica, while limestone is a sedimentary rock primarily made of calcite.


If a mass of granite is in contact with a layer of sandstone that contains small pieces of the granite which rock is older?

The granite would be older because it had to form first in order for the sandstone to contain pieces of it. The sandstone would have formed later on top of the granite layer.


How acid rain affects buildings and statues made of limestone and marble?

A lot of buildings and statues are made of "basic" (alkaline) materials such as limestone. When an acid comes into contact with these materials it causes an exothermic reaction the dissolves the material and so erodes it.Acid rain erodes statues and buildings. It would have to be a very strong acid in order to break down metals, though.Acid Rain is defined as Acid fallening from the clouds in a rain like form. Acid Rain's effect on statues is immense, after a couple thousands of years the statue will finally decay. Although the decaying of the statues usaully starts off about at 1 inch a year, and finishes with decimationg the statue in no time.


What is the order of the minerals from the softest to the hardest?

The order of minerals from softest to hardest is: talc, gypsum, calcite, fluorite, apatite, orthoclase feldspar, quartz, topaz, corundum, and diamond. This scale is known as the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

Related Questions

Which rocks are used for making buildings?

There are many characteristic of a best rock in building buildings. For easy work you can use marble, limestone or dolomite. For durability and strength you can use igneous rocks such as basalt.


What rock is used the most in flooring?

The most popular stone used for flooring is granite. Worldwide granite far out sells the other types of stones. Other types in order of descending popularity are marble, slate, travertine (a from of limestone laid down by hot springs), limestone, and onyx.


How limestone become marble?

Limestone can become marble through a process called metamorphism. When limestone is subjected to heat and pressure deep in the Earth's crust, its mineral composition changes, creating the crystalline structure and characteristic patterns that define marble. This process usually takes millions of years and transforms the original limestone into a harder, more dense, and more vibrant rock known as marble.


What rocks are used as building materials?

Sedimentary rocks like red sand stone, marble and granite etc are used as building material. Granite being best in order of its finish and luster is everyone's choice.


Is limestone heavier than granite?

No, granite is usually heavier than limestone. Granite is a denser and more compact rock, composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, and mica, while limestone is a sedimentary rock primarily made of calcite.


What are non-pourous rocks?

Non-porous rocks are rocks that do not have interconnected pores or spaces that allow liquids or gases to pass through them. Some examples of non-porous rocks include granite, marble, and quartzite. These rocks are typically resistant to water and other fluids penetrating their surface.


Where can you find marble?

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone and composed of calcite. It is found in the mountain regions of countries like Spain, Italy, China, and the United States. Marble uses can include for monuments, sculptures, stairways, and flooring.


If a mass of granite is in contact with a layer of sandstone that contains small pieces of the granite which rock is older?

The granite would be older because it had to form first in order for the sandstone to contain pieces of it. The sandstone would have formed later on top of the granite layer.


How does granite form into gniess?

Granite must be exposed to tremendous heat and pressures in order to transform into the metamorphic rock gneiss.


Do you need to seal granite countertops for maintenance?

Yes, it is recommended to seal granite countertops for maintenance in order to protect them from stains and damage.


How does mineralogist identify the hardness of a mineral?

Minerologists identify mineral harness with a variety of tools. In order of hardness, they gnerally use their fingernails, nails, copper pennies, knife blades, glass, porcelain and other minerals such as quartz, topaz, corundum and diamond. The Moh's Hardness Scale gives a list of minerals in order of hardness with talc being the softest with a rating of "1" and diamond the hardest at a "10".


What is the difference between vickers hardness test and brinell hardness test?

In Vickers hardness test the for used is much lighter than the force used in Rockwell hardness test, The Rockwell hardness test is the considered to be the most routinely used technique to measure the hardness of materials because of its simplicity and because it does not require specific skills in order to perform it.