Marble Hardness Scale

In simple words soapstone is the softest material and diamond is the hardest material.

Marble hardness scale. Falling down on the scale a little more are popular countertop options marble travertine and slate. On average it is 6 5. Streak is the color of rock when it is crushed or powdered. If you check granite hardness on the mohs scale you will find it harder than marble and softer than quartzite.

Rocks with hardness 1 3 are soft rocks from 3 6 are medium hardness rocks and 6 10 are hard rocks. Created in 1812 by german geologist and mineralogist friedrich mohs it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science some of which are more quantitative. Each of these stones ranks at a 4 on the scale. Granite on the mohs scale.

The translucence of marble makes it especially attractive for many types of sculptures. An example of the hardness of a granite countertop can be seen in the fact that a knife blade will not scratch the surface. As a result marble is easy to carve and that makes it useful for producing sculptures and ornamental objects. Marble is limestone that has been compacted and heated over millions of years.

The mohs hardness scale only takes into consideration the strength of a single mass element or the purest form of each mineral. Being composed of calcite marble has a hardness of three on the mohs hardness scale. Depending on the limestone and the mineral combination within the marble most marble rates from three to five on the mohs hardness scale. Because granite is between a 6 and 7 on the mohs scale it would be able to scratch other types of stone that have lower ratings such as marble.

This means that marble is less scratch resistant than granite. You will have to be very careful not to scratch these surfaces albeit they are not the softest options on the scale. For example a diamond can scratch granite while granite can scratch marble. It can also be used for metal.

The softest countertop options on the mohs scale are limestone 3 and. While the mohs hardness scale is certainly a worthwhile resource to provide a general guideline it does not provide all of the information for a natural stone slab. Hardness is determined by the ability of one mineral to scratch another. The hardness of marble is 3 4 whereas its compressive strength is 115 00 n mm 2.

Rocks are rated on the on the moh s hardness scale which rates the rocks on the scale from 1 to 10. Marble has a mohs hardness scale rating between 3 4. Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating. The janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0 444 steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter.

The janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. The scale used in the table is pounds force.