Exploring Mineral Hardness: Which Mineral Can Scratch Fluorite, Galena, and Pyroxene?

Which mineral will scratch fluorite, galena, and pyroxene?

Answer: Olivine, quartz, garnet, and pyrite

Answer

A mineral like quartz, with a Mohs hardness of 7, can scratch fluorite, galena, and pyroxene.

To determine which mineral will scratch fluorite, galena, and pyroxene, we need to consider the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. This scale ranks minerals based on their ability to scratch another mineral. Fluorite has a Mohs hardness of 4, galena about 2.5, and pyroxene typically falls between 5 and 7. Therefore, a mineral like quartz, which has a Mohs hardness of 7, can easily scratch fluorite, galena, and pyroxene.

It's worth noting that the mineral pyrite, despite its metallic luster, has a hardness of around 6 to 6.5, which means it could scratch galena and fluorite but not pyroxene. Other minerals like olivine, garnet, and pyrite can also scratch the mentioned minerals based on their hardness on the Mohs scale.

The mineral content in different types of rocks, such as peridotite, komatiite, gabbro, basalt, granite, or rhyolite, can include a variety of minerals with differing hardness, such as olivine, plagioclase, and amphibole, as stated in mineral reference resources.