Mohs scale of mineral hardness Mohs scale of mineral hardness The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material. Created in 1812 by German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science, some of which are more quantitative. The method of comparing hardness by seeing which minerals can visibly scratch others is, however, of great antiquity, having been mentioned by Theophrastus in his treatise "On Stones", c. 300 BC, followed by Pliny the Elder in his "Naturalis Historia", c.
Scale ruler Scale ruler A scale ruler is a tool for measuring distances and transferring measurements at a fixed ratio of length; two common examples are an architect's scale and engineer's scale. An architect's scale is a specialized ruler designed to facilitate the drafting and measuring of architectural drawings, such as floor plans and orthographic projections. In scientific and engineering terminology, a device to measure linear distance and create proportional linear measurements is called a scale. A device for drawing straight lines is a straight edge or ruler. In common usage both are referred to as a ruler. Because the scale of