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Which Mineral Is the Hardest?
geologyscience
Quick Answer
Diamond is the hardest natural mineral, rated 10 on the Mohs scale.
The Full Story
Diamond tops the Mohs hardness scale at 10, meaning it can scratch every other natural mineral but cannot itself be scratched by any of them. Its hardness comes from the strong covalent bonds between carbon atoms in a tetrahedral lattice. Corundum (ruby and sapphire) ranks 9, and topaz ranks 8. In practical terms, diamond is about four times harder than corundum. Synthetic materials like aggregated diamond nanorods (ADNRs) and wurtzite boron nitride may exceed diamond's hardness under certain conditions.
Key Facts
1.The Mohs scale was devised by German geologist Friedrich Mohs in 1812.
2.A diamond can only be scratched by another diamond.
3.Talc, the softest mineral (Mohs 1), can be scratched with a fingernail.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Why Nothing Scratches a Diamond — The Mohs Hardness Scale Explained"