Itching to Investigate Minerals

How do we determine a mineral's hardness? Scratch it!

Can Louisa scratch talc with a steel nail?

Is Layla scratching apatite with a copper penny?

Does Claren's fingernail leave a mark on feldspar?

Inquiry drives Ailynn and friends...

A song about the Mohs hardness scale drops an earworm during our exploration...

Mohs Hardness Scale

I see a rock sittin' there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale
Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Talc, and gypsum can be scratched by a finger nail. But calcite can be scratched by a copper penny. Fluorite and apatite can both be scratched with a steel knife. Hmmm but orthoclase is with window glass. Go run tell your science teacher!
I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale
Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Now I know that quartz can scratch a window glass and topaz can scratch quartz and corundum to topaz oh yeaaa and diamond can scratch all the other ones. Ooo it's a 10 yea...just that you should know! Oooh I got some news for you, you better use it right now.
I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale
Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Now rocks, rocks, rocks why'd you wanna wanna scratch so hard (so hard, so hard, so hard) I tried to tell my teacher but she told me this is one for the scale (the scale, the scale, the scale) yes she did, yes she did.
Ooh WHY?
Ooh WHY?
Ooh WHY? ROCKS?
Ooh You're hard oh yes you are...OOOOOH!!!
I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale
Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale