Kovuusarvon

Kovuusarvon, also known as the Kovuusarvo scale, is a system used to measure the hardness of minerals. It was developed by the Finnish mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1812. The scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. Each number on the scale represents a mineral that can scratch the one below it and be scratched by the one above it. For example, talc (1) can be scratched by gypsum (2) but not by calcite (3). The Kovuusarvon scale is widely used in mineralogy and geology due to its simplicity and practicality. It is important to note that the scale is not linear, meaning the difference in hardness between two minerals is not consistent across the scale. For instance, the difference in hardness between talc and gypsum is much greater than the difference between diamond and corundum. The Kovuusarvon scale is a useful tool for identifying minerals in the field and in the laboratory. It is also used in the manufacturing industry to select materials for specific applications.