Question

On most scale, talc has a hardness of 1. Is talc hard soft?

Answer 1

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).

Step-by-step explanation:

Mohs Hardness Scale

Mineral

Talc 1

Gypsum 2

Calcite 3

Fluorite 4

Apatite 5

Orthoclase 6

Quartz 7

Topaz 8

Corundum 9

Diamond 10

Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, developed the scale in 1812. He selected ten minerals of distinctly different hardness that ranged from a very soft mineral (talc) to a very hard mineral (diamond). With the exception of diamond, the minerals are all relatively common and easy or inexpensive to obtain.

Answer 2

Talc has a "1" on the Moh's Hardness Scale, the largest # on the scale is diamond at "10", Talc is at the bottom of the scale therefore it is the softest.