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 measure of the ease with which a smooth surface of a mineral can be scratched, or of its resistance to abrasion. In 1822 the Austrian mineralogist Friedrich Mohs devised a scale based on one mineral's ability to scratch another. He placed 10 minerals in order from softest to hardest, giving a relative hardness value of 1 to the softest mineral, and 10 to the hardest.