1) How much harder is diamond than topaz? The answer can be found in the second
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Question
1) How much harder is diamond than topaz? The answer can be found in the second video.
2) If a rock can be scratched by a copper penny but not fingernail, suggest a plausible hardness number in Mohs scale.
3) Find a rock in your backyard, workplace, park, or wherever it is appropriate, and try to determine its possible hardness number or range. Please indicate where you find the rock, and what the luster, overall shape, size, and color of the rock are. Feel free to attach a picture to your post but it is optional. Describe what you have done to the rock and explain how you determine its hardness number (or range).
4) As a chemist I want you to learn some chemistry in this class. Please search the Internet to find resources that appear to be trustworthy to answer the questions: what is diamond made of? Can diamond be burned? Please cite your sources.
Explanation / Answer
1) According to Mohs hardness scale hardness of topaz is 8 and diamond is 10. Mohs hardness scale is based on relative hardness of minerals. But the absolute hardness of diamond is 1600 and topaz is 200. So, according to this diamond is 8 times harder than the topaz.
2)The rock can be scratched by a copper penny but not fingernail. Hardness of copper penny is 3, and, Hardness of fingernail is 2.5. A plausible hardness number in Mohs scale is 3 (Calcite).
3) Luster - Pearly to Vitreous
Overall shape - Flat tabular
Size - Irregular, coarse grained
Color - White to grey.
The rock is not scratched by a copper penny or nail. But it is scratched by knife.
Its hardness range is 5.5 - 6.5.
4) What is diamond made of ?
Ans. Diamond is made up of carbon (C), or more preciously it is pure crystalline carbon. It is a native element. Its chemical composition is same as graphite and charcoal.
Can diamond be burned?
Ans. Yes diamond can be burnt. It is made up of pure carbon. So, when it will be strongly heated in the presence of oxygen, carbon will react with the oxygen to form carbon dioxide.
You can find it from any source.
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