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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.
What else can I help you with?
Mineral specimen with a Mohs hardness of 5 can scratch a mineral specimen with a hardness of 3?
Correct, a 5 hardness can scratch a 5 and below.
What physical properties would be easiest to determine if you found a mineral specimen in the field?
Color, luster, hardness, and cleavage are physical properties that can be relatively easily determined in the field to help identify a mineral specimen. These properties can provide important clues about the mineral's composition and can help narrow down possible identification.
Why was Fredrich Mohs important?
He originally came up with the scale when classifying a private collection. He classified them by their physical characteristics rather than their chemical composition, using their relative hardness.
How would you determine whether a ruby or an emerald is harder?
You can determine whether a ruby or an emerald is harder by using the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Rubies have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, making them harder than emeralds which have a hardness of 7.5 to 8.
Is it possible to quickly determine the blank of one mineral relative to that of another mineral with the process of blank?
Yes, it is possible to quickly determine the hardness of one mineral relative to that of another mineral using the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. This scale ranks minerals based on their ability to scratch one another, allowing for a straightforward comparison. By performing scratch tests, you can ascertain which mineral is harder or softer relative to the other.
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 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.
Mineral specimen with a Mohs hardness of 5 can scratch a mineral specimen with a hardness of 3?
Correct, a 5 hardness can scratch a 5 and below.
How do you determine the hardness of an unknown minerals specimen?
One way is to start with mohs scale which references the ability of one mineral to scratch another.
Scratching a mineral with a nail is a test of what?
Scratching a mineral with a nail is a test of hardness. It helps determine the relative hardness of the mineral compared to known substances on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
What is used to to determine hardness of a mineral?
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What do scientists use to determine mineral hardness?
Scientists use the Mohs scale of mineral hardness to determine the relative hardness of minerals. This scale ranks minerals from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) based on their ability to scratch or be scratched by other minerals. By performing a scratch test, scientists can identify a mineral's hardness by comparing it to known minerals on the Mohs scale.
What does the mohs scale determine?
it determines the hardness of a mineral.
What is relative hardness of a mineral can be best tested by?
The relative hardness of a mineral can be best tested by conducting a scratch test against common minerals with known hardness values, such as the Mohs Scale of Hardness. By observing which mineral scratches another, you can determine the relative hardness of the unknown mineral.
How do you determine the hardness of a mineral?
The hardness of a mineral is determined by scratching it with materials of known hardness, such as a fingernail, a copper penny, a steel nail, or a piece of glass. The mineral is assigned a hardness value based on which material can scratch it. This is known as the Mohs scale of hardness.
What is used to determine a mineral's resistance to being scratched?
The Mohs mineral hardness scale.
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.
