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The most commonly known mineral that can be scratched with a fingernail is talc.

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Why can your fingernail scratch talc?

Talc is a very soft mineral, ranking as 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness, and your fingernail is harder at around 2.5. This means your fingernail can easily scratch talc due to the difference in hardness levels.


What property are you testing if you scratch a mineral with a penny a nail and your fingernail?

When you scratch a mineral with a penny, nail, and your fingernail, you are testing the mineral's hardness. The ability to scratch or be scratched by certain materials helps determine the mineral's hardness on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.


If you scrape a rock with your fingernail and your fingernail leaves a scratch it must be?

Your nail is 2.5 so the rocks you can scratch are, Gypsum and Talc.


What mineral has the same hardness as a fingernail?

GypsumHardnessMineralAssociations and Uses1Talc (Softest)Talcum powder. (can be scratched by a fingernail.)2GypsumPlaster of paris.Gypsum is formed when seawater evaporates from the Earth's surface. (May be scratched by a fingernail or by a copper coin.)3CalciteLimestone and most shells contain calcite.(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife or sometimes a copper coin. Will scratch a fingernail, may scratch a copper coin.)4FluoriteFluorine in fluorite prevents tooth decay.(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife. Will scratch a fingernail and a copper coin.)5ApatiteWhen you are hungry you have a big "appetite".(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife. Will scratch a fingernail and a copper coin.)6OrthoclaseOrthoclase is a feldspar, and in German, "feld" means "field".(Will not scratch glass but will scratch steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)7Quartz (Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)8TopazThe November birthstone. Emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl with a hardness of 8. (Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)9CorundumSapphire and ruby are varieties of corundum. Twice as hard as topaz.(Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)10Diamond (hardest)Used in jewelry and cutting tools. Four times as hard as corundum.(Will scratch all of the above.)


Can minerals be scratched by a fingernail?

According to Moh's Hardness scale, you can scratch a mineral with your fingernail if it has a hardness of 2.5 or less. Calcite has a hardness of 3, meaning that you cannot scratch it with your fingernail.

Related Questions

Can your fingernail scratch talc?

you can scratch talc becuase it is the softest mineral on the moth scale.


Why can your fingernail scratch talc?

Talc is a very soft mineral, ranking as 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness, and your fingernail is harder at around 2.5. This means your fingernail can easily scratch talc due to the difference in hardness levels.


What property are you testing if you scratch a mineral with a penny a nail and your fingernail?

When you scratch a mineral with a penny, nail, and your fingernail, you are testing the mineral's hardness. The ability to scratch or be scratched by certain materials helps determine the mineral's hardness on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.


What mineral property are you testing if a fingernail scratches a mineral?

If a fingernail can scratch a mineral, you are testing the mineral's hardness. Hardness is a measure of a mineral's resistance to being scratched by other materials. Minerals are ranked on the Mohs scale of hardness from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).


What will scratch serpentine and what does not scratch it?

The Mohs hardness of serpentine is 2,5-3; it a soft mineral. Not scrached by a graphite pen; scratched by fingernail, copper etc.


If you scrape a rock with your fingernail and your fingernail leaves a scratch it must be?

Your nail is 2.5 so the rocks you can scratch are, Gypsum and Talc.


How is mineral hardness tested?

Mineral hardness is tested on a glass plate or usually a finger nail.


Can a diamond scratch a kaolin?

Kaolin is a soft white clay used in making porcelain. You can scratch kaolin with your fingernail, so, because diamond is the hardest known mineral, of course a diamond will also scratch kaolin.


Can you scratch plaster with a fingernail?

It would depend on how loosely the sandstone was cemented. Some sandstone can be crumbled in your clenched fist, and some are extremely hard.


What is the fingernail test?

The fingernail test is for minerals and if a mineral is soft then you stick your fingernail in the mineral and if it is below 10 on the moh's hardness scale then it can put a dent into the mineral hope that helps!!


What mineral has the same hardness as a fingernail?

GypsumHardnessMineralAssociations and Uses1Talc (Softest)Talcum powder. (can be scratched by a fingernail.)2GypsumPlaster of paris.Gypsum is formed when seawater evaporates from the Earth's surface. (May be scratched by a fingernail or by a copper coin.)3CalciteLimestone and most shells contain calcite.(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife or sometimes a copper coin. Will scratch a fingernail, may scratch a copper coin.)4FluoriteFluorine in fluorite prevents tooth decay.(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife. Will scratch a fingernail and a copper coin.)5ApatiteWhen you are hungry you have a big "appetite".(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife. Will scratch a fingernail and a copper coin.)6OrthoclaseOrthoclase is a feldspar, and in German, "feld" means "field".(Will not scratch glass but will scratch steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)7Quartz (Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)8TopazThe November birthstone. Emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl with a hardness of 8. (Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)9CorundumSapphire and ruby are varieties of corundum. Twice as hard as topaz.(Will scratch glass, steel blades, copper coins & fingernails.)10Diamond (hardest)Used in jewelry and cutting tools. Four times as hard as corundum.(Will scratch all of the above.)


Can you get HIV from a fingernail scratch?

No, you cannot get HIV from a fingernail scratch. HIV is transmitted through specific bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. Casual contact like a fingernail scratch does not pose a risk for HIV transmission.