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.
A common method of ranking the relative hardness of elements is to use the Mohs scale, which ranks elements on scale between 0 and 10 according to how resistant they are to scratching by other elements.