Mohs Scale of Hardness

minerals · hardness · geology · science

Scale from 1 to 10. The Mohs scale starts with talc at level 1, the softest mineral, and goes all the way up to diamond at level 10, the hardest. Every mineral's hardness falls somewhere on this scale.

Diamond is unbeatable. Diamond sits at the very top of the Mohs scale at 10 because nothing can scratch it. It's so incredibly hard that it's the hardest natural material on Earth.

Scratch test method. Scientists figured out the scale by testing which minerals can scratch others. If mineral A can scratch mineral B, then A is harder than B.

Super useful tool. Geologists and miners use the Mohs scale to identify what minerals they've found. They can quickly test a sample by scratching it with materials of known hardness.

Created way back when. A scientist named Friedrich Mohs invented this ranking system in 1812, and it's still the most common way people measure mineral hardness today.