Mohs Scale

Name:
Mohs Scale
Detailed information:
An empirical scale of the hardness of mineral or mineral-like materials originally consisting of 10 values, ranging from talc, with a rating of 1, to diamond, with a rating of 10—the rating based on the ability of each material to scratch the one directly below it in the series. The number of materials has been expanded from 10 to 15 with the addition of several synthetically produced substances (e.g., silicon carbide) between the original 9 and 10 positions. The scale is named after the German mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs (1773–1839).See Hardness.