Mineral Hardness Testing worksheet for students to classify minerals based on scratch resistance.

To solve this problem, we need to use the Mohs Hardness Scale. This scale ranks minerals from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest). We compare the hardness of common objects to the minerals to see which ones can scratch them.

Here is the standard reference for the objects shown in your table:
* Fingernail: Hardness ~2.5
* Copper Penny: Hardness ~3.5
* Glass Plate / Knife Blade: Hardness ~5.5
* Steel Nail: Hardness ~6.5

Step-by-Step Sorting:

1. Scratched by Fingernail (Hardness < 2.5):
* These are the softest minerals.
* Talc is the softest mineral (Hardness 1).
* Gypsum is next (Hardness 2).
* *Note: While Calcite (3) and Fluorite (4) are sometimes listed as being scratched by a fingernail in simpler charts, strictly speaking, they require a penny. However, looking at the number of rows, we usually fill the specific hardness slots.*

2. Scratched by a Penny (Hardness < 3.5):
* These minerals are harder than a fingernail but softer than a copper penny.
* Calcite (Hardness 3).
* Fluorite (Hardness 4) is technically harder than a penny, but often grouped here in school activities if "Glass" isn't an option. Let's look at the next tool.

3. Scratched by Glass/Knife (Hardness < 5.5):
* The image shows a glass plate and a knife. These have similar hardness (~5.5).
* Apatite (Hardness 5) will be scratched by glass or a knife.
* Orthoclase Feldspar (Hardness 6) is harder than glass/knife, so it won't be scratched by them.

4. Scratched by Steel Nail (Hardness < 6.5):
* A steel nail is harder than glass.
* Orthoclase Feldspar (Hardness 6) can be scratched by a steel nail.
* Quartz (Hardness 7) cannot be scratched by a nail.

5. Minerals that cannot be scratched by these tools (Hardness > 6.5):
* Topaz (8), Corundum (9), and Diamond (10) are too hard for any of the tools listed in the table. They usually go in the bottom empty rows or are left blank depending on instructions. Since the prompt asks to drag and drop, we place the remaining hardest minerals at the bottom.

Let's fill the table rows based on the icons provided:

* Row 1 & 2 (Fingernail Icon): Talc (1), Gypsum (2).
* Row 3 (Penny Icon): Calcite (3). *(Note: Fluorite is 4, which is harder than a penny, but often students are taught "Penny scratches up to 4" in simplified versions. Let's look at the next icon).*
* Row 4 (Glass Icon): Fluorite (4) and Apatite (5). Wait, the table has specific single slots? No, it looks like we just need to list them. Let's align strictly with Mohs numbers vs Tool Hardness.

Refined List for the Table:

1. Hardness 1: Talc (Scratched by Fingernail)
2. Hardness 2: Gypsum (Scratched by Fingernail)
3. Hardness 3: Calcite (Scratched by Penny)
4. Hardness 4: Fluorite (Scratched by Penny - *in many elementary contexts*, though technically it needs glass. Given the icons, it likely goes here or with glass. Let's assume standard progression: Fingernail gets 1-2, Penny gets 3-4, Glass gets 5-6, Nail gets 6-7).
* *Correction*: Standard geology teaches:
* Fingernail (2.5) scratches Talc (1) and Gypsum (2).
* Penny (3.5) scratches Calcite (3). It does *not* scratch Fluorite (4).
* Glass/Knife (5.5) scratches Fluorite (4) and Apatite (5).
* Steel Nail (6.5) scratches Orthoclase (6). It does *not* scratch Quartz (7).

Let's organize the final answer based on the "Can be scratched by" column icons:

* Icon: Fingernail -> Minerals: Talc, Gypsum
* Icon: Penny -> Mineral: Calcite (and potentially Fluorite if the curriculum simplifies, but scientifically it's Calcite).
* Icon: Glass Plate -> Minerals: Fluorite, Apatite
* Icon: Knife -> (Same hardness as glass roughly) -> Usually grouped with Glass.
* Icon: Steel Nail -> Mineral: Orthoclase Feldspar
* No Icon / Hardest -> Minerals: Quartz, Topaz, Corundum, Diamond

Since the table has 10 rows and there are 10 minerals, we simply list them in order of hardness (1-10) and match the tool that scratches them.

Order of Minerals (Softest to Hardest):
1. Talc
2. Gypsum
3. Calcite
4. Fluorite
5. Apatite
6. Orthoclase (Feldspar)
7. Quartz
8. Topaz
9. Corundum
10. Diamond

Matching Tools:
1. Talc (1) -> Scratched by Fingernail
2. Gypsum (2) -> Scratched by Fingernail
3. Calcite (3) -> Scratched by Penny
4. Fluorite (4) -> Scratched by Glass/Knife (Penny is too soft)
5. Apatite (5) -> Scratched by Glass/Knife
6. Orthoclase (6) -> Scratched by Steel Nail (Glass is too soft)
7. Quartz (7) -> Not scratched by Nail (Requires harder material)
8. Topaz (8) -> Not scratched by Nail
9. Corundum (9) -> Not scratched by Nail
10. Diamond (10) -> Not scratched by Nail

*Self-Correction for School Level:* Often, worksheets simplify this.
- Rows with Fingernail: Talc, Gypsum
- Row with Penny: Calcite
- Row with Glass: Fluorite, Apatite
- Row with Knife: (Often redundant with glass, or used for Orthoclase in some scales, but Nail is better for Orthoclase).
- Row with Nail: Orthoclase.

The last 4 minerals (Quartz, Topaz, Corundum, Diamond) are harder than all the tools listed. They typically go in the bottom rows where no tool is listed, or the student leaves the "scratched by" column blank.

Final Answer:

| Hardness Number | Mineral | Can be scratched by |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | Talc | Fingernail |
| 2 | Gypsum | Fingernail |
| 3 | Calcite | Penny |
| 4 | Fluorite | Glass Plate / Knife |
| 5 | Apatite | Glass Plate / Knife |
| 6 | Feldspar (Orthoclase) | Steel Nail |
| 7 | Quartz | *(None of the listed tools)* |
| 8 | Topaz | *(None of the listed tools)* |
| 9 | Corundum | *(None of the listed tools)* |
| 10 | Diamond | *(None of the listed tools)* |