Question

hardness is another physical property of minerals. the harder a mineral is, the less likely it is to be scratched. to determine a minerals hardness, scratch it against an object with a known hardness. you could try a penny or even your fingernail. we can measure hardness using the mohs scale. the mohs scale goes from 1 to 10. minerals with a lower number are softer. minerals with a higher number are harder. talc has a hardness of 1, so it can be scratched very easily. diamond has a hardness of 10. no other mineral can scratch it. a penny has a hardness of 3.5, and glass has a hardness between 5.5 and 6.
which of the following could be the mohs scale number for a mineral that is harder than talc, but softer than a penny?
choose one option
a 7
b 0.3
c 4.5
d 2

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the hardness range

Talc has a hardness of 1, and a penny has a hardness of 3.5. We need to find a value \(x\) such that \(1 < x<3.5\).

Step2: Check each option

• Option A: \(7>3.5\), so it is not in the range.
• Option B: \(0.3 < 1\), so it is not in the range.
• Option C: \(4.5>3.5\), so it is not in the range.
• Option D: \(1 < 2<3.5\), so it is in the range.

Answer:

D. 2