GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Mohs Hardness Scale is used as a convenient way to help identify minerals. A mineral’s hardness is a measure of its relative resistance to scratching, measured by scratching the mineral against another substance of known hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Mohs’ hardness scale was developed in 1822 by Frederich Mohs. This scale is a chart of relative hardness of the various minerals (1-softest to 10-hardest).

Detailed explanation-3: -So, a diamond is the hardest substance known to man. On the Mohs scale, fingernail has hardness 2.5; copper penny, about 3.5; a knife blade, 5.5; window glass, 5.5; steel file, 6.5. Using these ordinary materials of known hardness can be a simple way to approximate the position of a mineral on the scale.