EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Talc is the softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale at 1 and can be easily cut and crushed. Talc has perfect cleavage in one direction. This means that it breaks into thin sheets. As a result, it feels greasy to the touch (which is why talc is used as a lubricant).

Detailed explanation-2: -Talc (1), the softest mineral on the Mohs scale has a hardness greater than gypsum (2) in the direction that is perpendicular to the cleavage. Diamonds (10) also show a variation in hardness (the octahedral faces are harder than the cube faces).

Detailed explanation-3: -Talc is the softest mineral on Earth. It is a silicate and it also contains magnesium and water arranged into sheets in its crystal structure.

Detailed explanation-4: -This week, we look at the mineral Talc. This soft mineral sits at a 1 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, and when ground up becomes a common household powder.

Detailed explanation-5: -Talc: Talc is a phyllosilicate mineral that cleaves into thin sheets. These sheets are held together only by van der Waals bonds, which allows them to easily slip past one another. This characteristic is responsible for talc’s extreme softness, its greasy to soapy feel, and its value as a high-temperature lubricant.