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MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
| OLD | NEW | MATERIAL | ABSOLUTE HARDNESS |
| 1 | 1 | talc | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | gypsum | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | calcite | 9 |
| 3.5 | copper penny | ||
| 4 | 4 | florspar (florite) | 21 |
| 5 | 5 | apatite | 48 |
| 5.5 | glass, knife steel | ||
| 6 | 6 | orthoclase, file steel | 72 |
| 6.5 | novaculite (silicon dioxide) red rouge (ferric oxide) |
||
| 7 |
vitreous pure silica |
||
| 7 |
8 |
quartz | 100 |
| 8 | 9 | topaz | 200 |
| 10 | garnet | ||
| 8.5 |
green chromium oxide |
||
| 11 | fused zirconium oxide | ||
| 9 | sapphire or corundum | 400 |
|
| 9.2 | 12 | fused alumina | |
| 9.3 |
boron |
||
| 9.4-5 | 13 | silicon carbide | |
| 9.5-6 | 14 | boron carbide | |
| 9.7 |
stishovite (rare form of silicon dioxide) Norbide (special form of silicon nitride) |
||
| 9.8-9 | cubic boron nitride | ||
| 10 | 15 | diamond | 1500 |
Below is an interesting artifact, sent to me by Dr. Charles J. Di
Como of Riverdale, New York. It is an image of part of a
letter from
Fredrick Mohs to CE Wilbour in 1852. The image is large, and will
take
a few minutes to load on a dial-up connection.
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Updated September 8, 2004
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