GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Explanation: It must be remembered that minerals of equal hardness scratch each other. The best example is that diamond cuts diamonds.

Detailed explanation-2: -Hardness is defined by how well a substance will resist scratching by another substance. For example, if mineral A scratches mineral B, and mineral B does not scratch mineral A, then mineral A is harder than mineral B. If mineral A and B both scratch each other, then their hardness is equal.

Detailed explanation-3: -Quartz has a hardness of 7. It can be scratched by all the minerals harder than 7 on the scale: topaz, corundum, and diamond. On the other hand, quartz can scratch minerals that are softer than 7, from feldspar to talc.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hardness is a mineral’s ability to resist being scratched. Minerals that are not easily scratched are hard. You test the hardness of a mineral by scratching its surface with a mineral of a known hardness. Mineralogists use the Mohs Hardness Scale, shown in Table below, as a reference for mineral hardness.

Detailed explanation-5: -Hardness. The ability to resist being scratched-or hardness-is one of the most useful properties for identifying minerals. Luster. Luster is how a mineral reflects light. Color. One of the most obvious properties of a mineral is color. Streak. Specific Gravity.