to make a solution of, as by mixing with a liquid; pass into solution: to dissolve salt in water. to melt; liquefy: to dissolve sugar into syrup. to undo (a tie or bond); break up (a connection, union, etc.). to break up (an assembly or organization); dismiss; disperse.
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is based on the ability of one natural sample of mineral to scratch another mineral visibly. The samples of matter used by Mohs are all different minerals. Minerals are pure substances found in nature. Rocks are made up of one or more minerals.
eFunda: Convert Hardness: Mohs. Devised by Austrian mineralogist Frederick Mohs in 1822, Mohs' Hardness is applied to non-metallic elements and minerals. In this scale, hardness is defined by how well a substance resists scratching by another substance. A scale of 1 to 10 with half-step increments is employed. Members with higher scale numbers will scratch the surface of members in equal or lower scales. The reference minerals for the ten scales are: