ranging minerals from the hardest to the softest. Chalk, fingernail. steel screw and paper clip
thats mean
To determine the hardness of minerals, we can use a scale called the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. This scale ranks minerals based on their ability to scratch each other. The higher the number on the scale, the harder the mineral. Here's how we can determine the hardness of the given minerals:
1. Chalk: Start with a mineral known to be very soft and common, like talc. Try scratching the chalk with talc. If talc can scratch chalk, it means that chalk is softer than talc. Therefore, chalk has a lower hardness than talc.
2. Fingernail: Next, compare the hardness of fingernail to the mineral you determined in the previous step (chalk). If you can scratch chalk with your fingernail, it means that fingernail is harder than chalk. Therefore, fingernail has a higher hardness than chalk.
3. Steel screw: Now, repeat the process with steel screw. If steel screw can scratch your fingernail, then it means steel screw has a higher hardness than fingernail.
4. Paper clip: Lastly, compare the hardness of the paper clip to the steel screw. If the paper clip cannot scratch the steel screw, it means that the steel screw is harder than the paper clip.
Based on this comparison, we can determine the minerals from hardest to softest as follows:
Steel screw > Fingernail > Chalk > Paper clip