SME
Grade 12 Science · Earth & Space Science
Minerals and rocks: properties and how they form
Test minerals on the Mohs scale: what scratches what, and how hard each one is.
Explore
Talc, at 1, is the softest mineral on the scale; diamond, at 10, is the hardest.
The dashed lines are everyday tools: a fingernail, a copper coin, glass and a steel file.
Assumptions
•
A mineral scratches every mineral below it on the scale and is scratched by those above it.
•
The scale ranks hardness only; the steps are not equal.
Topic check
See what you know: 5 questions on this topic
New questions each time. Pass to mark it complete.
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