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.

Thescratchhardnessisrel
atedtot hebreaki
ngoft
hechemi calbondsi
nthemat eri
al,cr
eati
on
ofmicr
ofractur
esont hesurface,ordispl
acingat
oms( i
nmet al
s)oftheminer
al.Generall
y,
miner
alswi t
hcov al
entbondsar ethehardestwhi
lemineral
swithioni
c,metal
l
ic,orvander
Waalsbondingaremuchsof ter

Whendoi ngt hetestsofthemi neralsitisnecessar ytodet erminewhi chmi neralwas


scratched.Thepowdercanber ubbedorbl ownof fandsur facescr atchescanusual lybef eltby
runningthef i
ngernai l
overthesur face.Onecanal sogetar elat
ivefeel forthehar dness
diff
erencebet weent womi nerals.Fori nstancequar tzwil
lbeabl et oscr atchcalcitewi t
hmuch
greatereaset hany oucanscr at
chcal citewithfluor
ite.Onemustal souseenoughf orcet o
createthescrat ch(ifyoudon'tuseenoughf orceev endiamondwi l
lnotbeabl etoscr atch
quartz-thisisanar eawher epract iceisi mportant)
.Youal sohav et obecar efultotestt he
mat eri
althatyout hinkyouaretest ingandnotsomesmal linclusionint hesampl e.Thisi s
wher eusingasmal lhandlenscanbev eryusefultodetermi neifthet estareai shomogenous.

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