Mohs, Frederick
Published: August 18, 2006, 6:42 pm
Updated: August 18, 2006, 6:42 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter Saundry
Frederick Mohs (1773-1839), a German mineralogist who devised a scale for determining the hardness of an unknown rock or mineral, which is often very useful in the identification process. This scale is a measure of a mineral's resistance to abrasion and is now known as the Mohs Scale of Hardness. The scale is defined by ten fairly common minerals (except for the diamond) of known hardness that are numerically ordered from the softest (1) to the hardest (10). Talc has a value of H=1, while the diamond has a value of H=10. The Mohs Scale of Hardness is based on the simple and observable fact that a harder material will scratch a softer one.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Mohs, Frederick". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mohs,_Frederick>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Frederick Mohs (1773-1839), a German mineralogist who devised a scale for determining the hardness of an unknown rock or mineral, which is often very useful in the identification process. This scale is a measure of a mineral's resistance to abrasion and is now known as the Mohs Scale of Hardness. The scale is defined by ten fairly common minerals (except for the diamond) of known hardness that are numerically ordered from the softest (1) to the hardest (10). Talc has a value of H=1, while the diamond has a value of H=10. The Mohs Scale of Hardness is based on the simple and observable fact that a harder material will scratch a softer one.
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