Marble Hardness Scale

As a result marble is less porous and slightly stronger than limestone but still less durable than granite.

Marble hardness scale.

Rocks are rated on the on the moh s hardness scale which rates the rocks on the scale from 1 to 10. The mohs hardness scale only takes into consideration the strength of a single mass element or the purest form of each mineral. The softest countertop options on the mohs scale are limestone 3 and. Hardness is determined by the ability of one mineral to scratch another.

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. The translucence of marble makes it especially attractive for many types of sculptures. It can also be used for metal. Depending on the limestone and the mineral combination within the marble most marble rates from three to five on the mohs hardness scale.

Granite on the mohs scale. Streak is the color of rock when it is crushed or powdered. 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. You will have to be very careful not to scratch these surfaces albeit they are not the softest options on the scale.

Rocks with hardness 1 3 are soft rocks from 3 6 are medium hardness rocks and 6 10 are hard rocks. The scale used in the table is pounds force. In simple words soapstone is the softest material and diamond is the hardest material. On average it is 6 5.

If you check granite hardness on the mohs scale you will find it harder than marble and softer than quartzite. 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. An example of the hardness of a granite countertop can be seen in the fact that a knife blade will not scratch the surface. The janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0 444 steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter.

As a result marble is easy to carve and that makes it useful for producing sculptures and ornamental objects. This means that marble is less scratch resistant than granite. Being composed of calcite marble has a hardness of three on the mohs hardness scale. The hardness of marble is 3 4 whereas its compressive strength is 115 00 n mm 2.

The mohs scale of mineral hardness m oʊ z is a qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material. Marble is limestone that has been compacted and heated over millions of years. The janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. Marble has a mohs hardness scale rating between 3 4.

For example a diamond can scratch granite while granite can scratch marble. Falling down on the scale a little more are popular countertop options marble travertine and slate.