Question

1. Juan is trying to identify an unknown mineral. He can scratch the mineral with

his fingernail. The mineral MUST be

Mohs Hardness Scale
Mineral Name Scale Number
Common Object
Diamond
10
• Corundum
9
Masonry Drill BiH
Topaz
(8,5)
Quartz
Steel Nail (6.5)
Orthoclase
Knife/Glass
Apatite
Plate (5.5)
Fluorite
Copper Penny (3.5)
Calcite
Fingernail (25)
Gypsum
Talc
8
7
Increasing Hardness
6
a gypsum.
b. fluorite.
C. apatite, .
d. quartz

Answer 1

a. gypsum.

Step-by-step explanation:

The minerals found below the hardness of fingernails are talc and gypsum.

On the moh's scale of hardness, minerals found below another can be scratched by them.

• Since the minerals talc and gypsum can be found below fingernail, they can be scratched by the fingernail.
• Minerals above the fingernail cannot be scratched they the nails.