The Mohs hardness scale is a qualitative test that measures the hardness of a mineral by its ability to visibly scratch softer minerals. The scale isn’t perfect, but it’s a great tool for quick identification of rocks in the field.
The Mohs Hardness Scale for Minerals
Minerals are chemically pure solids that occur in nature.
The Mohs scale ranks minerals on a scale from 1 to 10, in which 1 is the softest mineral and 10 is the hardest mineral.
Diamond is the hardest mineral, with a Mohs hardness of 10. Talc is the softest mineral, with a hardness of 1.
The Mohs scale is ordinal, where the relative hardness values between one number and another are not uniform For example, diamond (10) is four times harder than corundum (9), while corundum is twice as hard as topaz
