Table of Contents
Which mineral can be scratched by glass?
quartz
Hardness
| mineral | Mohs hardness | observations on the minerals |
|---|---|---|
| apatite | 5 | scratched with a knife with difficulty |
| orthoclase | 6 | cannot be scratched with a knife, but scratches glass with difficulty |
| quartz | 7 | scratches glass easily |
| topaz | 8 | scratches glass very easily |
What is the softest mineral that can scratch glass?
Talc
Talc rates a one on the scale meaning that it is the softest mineral and can be scratched by just about anything. Who is Moh? The Mohs hardness scale was name after Friedrich Moh, a German mineralogist of the seventeenth century.
What mineral can scratch a penny?
Thus, a copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum and talc, while a fingernail can scratch only gypsum and talc.
Can a penny scratch glass?
If the glass plate scratches the mineral, the glass plate is harder than the mineral. Hence, the hardness of the mineral is less than 5.5 (H<5.5). Try to scratch the surface of the glass plate with a fresh corner of the mineral….
| HARDNESS | REPRESENTATIVE MINERAL |
|---|---|
| 5.5 | Glass plate, knife blade |
| 3 | Copper penny |
| 2.5 | Fingernail |
Can glass scratch a penny?
Why is glass not a mineral?
Glass – can be naturally formed (volcanic glass called obsidian), is a solid, its chemical composition, however, is not always the same, and it does not have a crystalline structure. Thus, glass is not a mineral.
What mineral Cannot resist scratching by any other mineral?
Mohs Hardness Scale Diamond is the hardest mineral; no other mineral can scratch a diamond. Quartz is a 7.
Is there a mineral that can scratch glass?
Proceeding with the glass plate, the mineral is unable to scratch the glass (hardness = 5.5) at all. This mineral is about 4.0 on the Mohs scale. (If a mineral indeed scratches glass, you will be unable to wipe the scratch away.)
What kind of minerals can you scratch with your fingernail?
Hardness. For example, your fingernail can scratch the minerals talc and gypsum, with a hardness of 2 or lower. A copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum, and talc. A common misunderstanding of how to identify a diamond is that it will scratch glass. While this is true, other minerals can scratch glass too as long as they have a hardness > 6.
Can you scratch a penny with a pocket knife?
(Can be scratched by a steel pocket knife or sometimes a copper coin. Will scratch a fingernail, may scratch a copper coin.) If the specimen does not scratch with a penny, try a knife blade or glass.
What kind of hardness does a copper penny have?
The Mohs Hardness Scale ranks the order of hardness of minerals and some common objects. For example, your fingernail can scratch the minerals talc and gypsum, with a hardness of 2 or lower. A copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum, and talc. A common misunderstanding of how to identify…