What result will show the difference between quartz and fluorite in a hardness test? Both Both quartz and fluorite come in a variety of colors. Because they both share some of the same color varieties, they are often mistaken for each other. In order to tell them apart, a hardness test must be done.
A. Diamond scratches quartz and fluorite B. Quartz scratches talc C. Fluorite scratches talc D. Apatite scratches fluorite
The correct answer is option D
Hardness refers to how a mineral substance responds to or resists scratching by another mineral substance. Hardness is plays a vital role to help determine and identify a mineral substance.
In hardness, if substance X scratches substance Y and substance Y does not scratch substance X, then substance X is harder than substance Y. This is the case of fluorite and apatite. Apatite is harder than fluorite, therefore, it scratches fluorite and fluorite doesn’t scratch apatite.
Apatite cannot scratch quartz because quartz is known to be harder than apatite. This is a way to tell quartz and apatite apart.
Hope this helps.
