Material Hardness

Material hardness is measured using a variety of scales in research as well in industrial applications. The choice of scale depends on the level of hardness needing measured. The Mohs hardness scale is one of the more commonly recognized and was designed to measure the hardness of minerals by using one mineral to scratch another. Additional hardness scales have been developed for different applications with some being finer grained than others. Investigate, using Wolfram|Alpha, additional hardness scales, such as Rockwell, Brinell, Knoop, and Vickers.