hardness is another physical property of minerals. the harder a mineral is, the less likely it is to be…

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.\nwhich of the following could be the mohs scale number for a mineral that is harder than talc, but softer than a penny?\nchoose one option\na 7\nb 0.3\nc 4.5\nd 2
Answer
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