Mohs scale
- noun
- /moʊz skeɪl/
- Specialized
:
escala de Mohs
- The red sandstone was relatively soft and easy to work with and even though andesite is pretty hard, because of the way it cooled, it could easily be flaked-off using stones as soft as 5.5 on the Mohs scale.
Examples
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Calcite has a hardness of three on the Mohs scale, which indicates it can be scratched by minerals with higher numbers.
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On the Mohs scale, diamond is rated the highest at ten, making it the hardest known natural material.
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When studying geology, it's important to know the Mohs scale to classify minerals by their scratch resistance.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Mohs + scale
The element 'scale' signals a system of measurement, so learners can infer it is some kind of scale, but 'Mohs' is an eponym/proper name that gives no semantic cue to the domain or to hardness. An average B1 learner who knows 'scale' and the name 'Mohs' would not be able to derive that it specifically measures mineral hardness without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Mohs scale was created by a German scientist, Friedrich Mohs, who used a simple test: try to 'scratch' one mineral with another. He put common minerals in order from 1 for 'soft' to 10 for 'hard', so people can see which minerals will scratch others and compare 'hardness'.
