3.5.

3 Hardness

Mohs Hardness Scale

Hardness measures the ability of a mineral to scratch other substances. The

Mohs Hardness Scale gives a number showing the relative scratch-resistance
of minerals when compared to a standardized set of minerals of increasing hardness.
The Mohs scale was developed by German geologist Fredrick Mohs in the early 20th
century, although the idea of identifying minerals by hardness goes back thousands of
years. Mohs hardness values are determined by the strength of a mineral’s
atomic bonds.

The figure shows the minerals associated with specific hardness values, together with
some common items readily available for use in field testing and mineral identification.
The hardness values run from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest; however, the scale is
not linear. Diamond defines a hardness of 10 and is actually about four times harder
than corundum, which is 9. A steel pocketknife blade, which has a hardness value of 5.5,
separates between hard and soft minerals on many mineral identification keys.