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Exploring the Mohs Hardness Scale and its role in mineral identification, this overview covers the scale's range from talc (1) to diamond (10), and other minerals in between. Additional hardness tests like Vickers and Rockwell, and properties such as lustre, diaphaneity, color, streak, cleavage, and specific gravity are discussed, providing a comprehensive guide to mineralogy.
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Friedrich Mohs created the scale in 1812 to determine the relative hardness of minerals
The scale ranges from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) and is based on the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer one
Talc (1) is the softest mineral and can be scratched by all other minerals, while diamond (10) is the hardest and can scratch all other substances
These tests involve indenting the mineral surface with a specific force and measuring the size of the impression left to determine hardness
This method uses a spring-loaded device to gauge the resistance of a mineral to indentation
These methods are useful for material selection and processing in industrial contexts where exact hardness values are necessary
Lustre describes the quality and intensity of light reflected from a mineral's surface, while diaphaneity refers to its transparency
Color can be misleading, but streak (the color of a mineral's powdered form) is a more consistent characteristic for identification
These mechanical properties, including the tendency to break along specific planes, are important for identifying and understanding a mineral's potential uses
This property, measured by comparing the density of a mineral to water, can be a diagnostic tool for identification
Other properties, such as reaction to hydrochloric acid, magnetism, taste, smell, and radioactivity, can also aid in mineral identification
Theophrastus, Georgius Agricola, and Carl Linnaeus made significant contributions to the development of modern mineral classification systems
Today's systems categorize minerals based on their chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical properties, facilitating the study and comparison of minerals
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Mohs Scale Originator and Year
Developed by Friedrich Mohs, 1812.
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Mohs Scale Range
Ordinal scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).
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Mohs Scale Examples: Gypsum, Quartz, Diamond
Gypsum rated 2, Quartz rated 7, Diamond rated 10.
