Hardness Test for Minerals explained, plus VIDEOS

Class, this is the video I showed you in class on the Hardness test for Minerals. You can watch it again if you didn't understand it. You need to know how to do this test for our Mineral LAB. Plus, I gave some additional tips below. Let me know if you have any questions.

Hardness Test tips:                                                                                 If the unknown mineral easily scratches a mineral in the kit, then its obviously harder. So try the next numbered mineral in the kit right away.

If an unknown mineral sort of scratches a mineral in the kit, then definitely scratch both minerals against each other, especially if you’re unsure.

If you scratch the unknown mineral onto a mineral in the kit and you only wipe off a powder, this doesn’t count as a scratch! So the mineral in the kit is harder.

If both minerals can scratch each other, then the unknown mineral’s hardness is the same as the mineral in the kit.



Here is another video where a teacher tests for the hardness of unknown minerals using common household objects:

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To review all the Properties of Minerals, click on this site:
Mineralogy4kids- Mineral Properties  Then click on any of the 
properties you'd like to review on the right-hand side of the 
webpage. It gives a good summary for each property.
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Also, here's another video on characteristics of Minerals.

I showed it to you in class. You can watch it to study 

for the QUIZ on Minerals.