What Does Mohs Hardness Scale Mean?
The Mohs hardness scale refers to a sequential series of ten minerals ranging from softest to hardest used to quantify the degree of resistance to scratching of a given material. Such a material would be examined in reference to being scratched by one of the ten scale minerals or other minerals of a corresponding degree of hardness.
This scale is a tool used to prevent corrosion on metal surfaces by identifying corresponding minerals that are incompatible for certain applications that lead to heightened scratching. A scratched surface provides an avenue for permeation of corrosion-causing agents into a metal, thus increasing the probability of corrosion.
The Mohs hardness scale may also be known as the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.