Concepts
Mohs Hardness Scale
MOZE (rhymes with rose)
Also Known As The Mohs Scale
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A qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing the scratch resistance of minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer one. Ten reference minerals anchor it, from talc at 1 to diamond at 10, and field geologists still use it to identify unknown specimens with nothing more than a scratch kit.
Facts
Origin YearDevised by Friedrich Mohs in 1812; the cited article gives the scale's mechanism and reference minerals rather than restating the year in the excerpt captured. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Apatite is the defining mineral for 5 on the Mohs scale.
Pure corundum is defined to have 9.0 on the Mohs scale.
The Mohs scale defines value 4 as fluorite.
The Mohs scale defines gypsum as hardness value 2.
The Mohs scale defines value 1 as the hardness of talc, the softest mineral.
Topaz is the defining mineral for 8 on the Mohs scale.
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