Which of the following minerals can be scratched by a fingernail?Group of answer choicesOrthoclaseApatiteFluoriteGypsumQuartz
Question
Which of the following minerals can be scratched by a fingernail?
- Orthoclase
- Apatite
- Fluorite
- Gypsum
- Quartz
Solution
The hardness of a mineral is determined by the Mohs scale. This scale ranks minerals from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest). A fingernail has a hardness of about 2.5 on the Mohs scale.
Looking at the minerals listed:
- Orthoclase has a hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale.
- Apatite has a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale.
- Fluorite has a hardness of 4 on the Mohs scale.
- Gypsum has a hardness of 2 on the Mohs scale.
- Quartz has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
Therefore, the only mineral from the list that can be scratched by a fingernail is Gypsum.
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