Marble On The Hardness Scale

Granite on the mohs scale.

Marble on the hardness scale.

As a result marble is easy to carve and that makes it useful for producing sculptures and ornamental objects. When black granite is measured on the mohs scale it falls somewhere between 6 and 7. If you check granite hardness on the mohs scale you will find it harder than marble and softer than quartzite. 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 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. In simple words soapstone is the softest material and diamond is the hardest material. This means that marble is less scratch resistant than granite. As a result marble is less porous and slightly stronger than limestone but still less durable than granite.

Marble is limestone that has been compacted and heated over millions of years. For example a diamond can scratch granite while granite can scratch marble. On average it is 6 5. Depending on the limestone and the mineral combination within the marble most marble rates from three to five on the mohs hardness scale.

Hardness is determined by the ability of one mineral to scratch another. It can also be used for metal. The translucence of marble makes it especially attractive for many types of sculptures. Marble has a mohs hardness scale rating between 3 4.