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. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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. Connections
Associated With
Apatite is the defining mineral for 5 on the Mohs scale.
Source Apatite (Wikipedia)
Pure corundum is defined to have 9.0 on the Mohs scale.
Source Corundum (Wikipedia)
The Mohs scale defines value 4 as fluorite.
Source Fluorite (Wikipedia)
The Mohs scale defines gypsum as hardness value 2.
Source Gypsum (Wikipedia)
The Mohs scale defines value 1 as the hardness of talc, the softest mineral.
Source Talc (Wikipedia)
Topaz is the defining mineral for 8 on the Mohs scale.
Source Topaz (Wikipedia)
In Discipline
Source Mohs Scale (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Mohs Scale (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead sectionQuote, Lead section
The scale was introduced in 1812 by the German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs
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