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Mohs Scale Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Mohs Scale Quizzes, Trivia

Mohs Scale Trivia

Mohs Scale Trivia Quizzes

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4 Mohs Scale quizzes and 40 Mohs Scale trivia questions.
1.
So Hard
  So Hard   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Match
 10 Qns
The Hardness of Everyday Items
Mohs Hardness Scale is used to gauge the hardness of minerals. However, the hardness of everyday materials can also be measured on the same scale. All you need to do is to match the hardness to the pictured image.
Average, 10 Qns, 1nn1, Dec 31 23
Average
1nn1 gold member
Dec 31 23
334 plays
2.
  Mohs Scale   best quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Do you remember the minerals you had in your pocket geology kit for identifying minerals in the field using scratch tests? Match each of these minerals used as standard referents on the Mohs Scale with its name.
Easier, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Jan 07 23
Easier
looney_tunes editor
Jan 07 23
781 plays
3.
  Hey Moh, What Do You Know?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Mohs scale organizes minerals by hardness, from 1 to 10. This quiz contains a question about a mineral of each level. Good rock!
Average, 10 Qns, Caseena, Apr 10 22
Average
Caseena
Apr 10 22
733 plays
4.
  The Mohs Scale    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about the Mohs scale. I will give you the hardness, and you give me the mineral that is used to represent the hardness on the Mohs scale. N.B This quiz may be U.K specific, as the Mohs scale may be different in other parts of the world.
Average, 10 Qns, Flynn_17, Dec 01 22
Average
Flynn_17
Dec 01 22
2739 plays

Mohs Scale Trivia Questions
1. Which mineral, which sounds like a type of powder, is the softest on the Mohs scale at number 1?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Talc

Talc feels like soap and makes talcum and facial powder. It is so soft you can scratch it with your fingernail, which has a hardness of around 2.5.

2. This is the softest mineral at 1 on the Mohs scale. What is it?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Talc & talcum

Talc is a blue-silver mineral that may be scratched by all other minerals.

3. Number 2 is represented by gypsum. Which organic gem with a hardness of 2 is black in color and smells like coal when burned?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Jet

Jet is formed from water-soaked wood that fossilizes over time. It was often used as mourning jewelry in the past because of its color. Gold and silver also have a hardness of about 2.

4. Number 2 on the Mohs scale is represented by what?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Gypsum

This is a clear mineral at no.2 on the Mohs scale, but comes in many other forms, such as Desert Rose.

5. This common mineral holds number 3 on the Mohs scale. What is it called?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Calcite

Calcite is nearly as common as quartz and is what stalactites and stalagmites are made up of primarily.

6. Though uncommon in jewelry, fluorite comes in a variety of colors (often in the same stone) and shines brilliantly. What is number 4 on the Mohs scale also called?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Fluorspar

Fluorite is too soft to be used in many jewelry settings because it gets scratched easily. When it is used, it often appears as beads. It was used by ancient Egyptians and Chinese in carvings, and is found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

7. This mineral holds number 4 on the Mohs scale. It can be clear, blue, yellow, green, or purple. What is it called?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Fluorite

This mineral was used in old telescopes as lenses.

8. Number 5 on Mohs scale is sometimes called "asparagus stone" in Spanish. What is it?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Apatite

It is thus named because some apatites are yellow-green. While colorful and brilliant, apatite, like fluorite, is not often cut for jewelry because of its low hardness.

9. This blue-green mineral defines number 5 in the Mohs scale. What is its name?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: apatite

10. Number 6 is represented by orthoclase. Hematite, a naturally shiny black stone, also has a hardness of 6. What color is it when sliced thin or ground into powder?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Red

Ground into pigment, it was used as paint for schoolhouses and as war paint. Hematite is found with iron deposits and is used to polish other gemstones. Though it has a silvery and metallic sheen, it is not magnetic.

11. This mineral has two names and is number 6 on the Mohs scale. What is one of its two names?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Orthoclase & orthoclase & feldspar & Feldspar & Orthoclase-Feldspar & Orthoclase Feldspar

This whitish mineral is officially named Orthoclase-Feldspar, but it's just too long for a fill in the blank answer.

12. At number 7 is quartz, a very abundant mineral. At 7.5 is a blue or sea-green gemstone whose crystals can grow a meter long. One of the largest ones ever found weighed over 240 pounds! Which stone is this?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Aquamarine

Meaning "sea water," aquamarines are among the largest crystals, often found in hexagonal form and are a form of beryl. Many are heat treated to intensify the blue color, but too much heat will drain the gem of color.

13. This mineral is the most common on Earth and holds an impressive number 7 on the Mohs scale. What is its name?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: quartz

This comes in all colours: red, blue, pink, orange, purple, clear, white, yellow, grey-clear, and aster but to name a few.

14. The name of this mineral may come from the Sanskrit word "tapas," meaning "fire." Which gem represents number 8?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Topaz

The name may also come from the Greek word "topazos" which is the name of an island where peridots are found. Topazes come in many colors, such as blue, green, yellow, brown, pink, and colorless. They are often mistaken for other gemstones, like aquamarines, citrines, and even diamonds.

15. This gemstone is high at number 8 in the Mohs scale. What is its name?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Topaz

This beautiful mineral most frequently comes in either yellow, white or ice blue.

16. Number 9 on the Mohs scale is corundum; the two most well-known, and rare, are ruby and sapphire. However, another type of corundum is very common and may be found in your home. What is it?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: Emery

Some emery is mixed with hematite, bringing it down to a hardness of 8. Emery is used in nail files. Think of how expensive those would be if ruby dust were used instead.

17. This mineral has many forms, but essentially is a number 9 in the Mohs scale. What is the name of one of its forms?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Corundum & ruby & sapphire

Rubies and sapphires are used extensively in jewelery. The composition is the same, but rubies are the red form while sapphires are (usually) blue.

18. Number 10, the hardest natural mineral on Earth--diamond, which can only be shaped by another diamond. So, what will happen if you hit a diamond with a steel hammer?

From Quiz Hey Moh, What Do You Know?

Answer: The diamond will shatter

A diamond is several times harder than corundum and steel. But, this doesn't mean that a diamond is strong--hit it with a hammer and the diamond will shatter (so don't try it with that engagement ring!).

19. At number 10, which mineral was long believed to be the hardest on Earth?

From Quiz The Mohs Scale

Answer: Diamond

Diamond is frequently quoted as the hardest mineral found, but later discoveries have rendered this incorrect - although diamond is still the hardest relatively common mineral and remains the hardest on the Mohs scale.

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Last Updated Apr 13 2024 5:49 AM
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