Is Granite The Hardest Rock
Granite ˈ ɡ r æ n ɪ t is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture.
Is granite the hardest rock. Marble is a degree or two less and though it is still a very hard stone it s rating on the mohs scale is about a 5. But in the 1960s when i began learning rock classification a quartzite was a sandstone that was composed predominantly of quartz and cemented with sili. Granite is the rock most often quarried as a dimension stone a natural rock material that has been cut into blocks or slabs of specific length width and thickness. That is an old classification and i am not sure the classification still exists.
The igneous rock is comprised of mostly quartz and feldspar along with smaller amounts of various other minerals. An example of the hardness of a granite countertop can be seen in the fact that a knife blade will not scratch the surface. Strictly speaking granite is an. The other rocky planets mercury venus and mars are covered with basalt as is the ocean floor of earth but only earth has this beautiful and interesting rock type in abundance.
These two stones have a mohs hardness rating of 6 or 7. Granite comes in at a 6 to 7 on the mohs scale meaning it is relatively hard. Granite is the signature rock of the continents. So we strive for the hardest most attainable and attractive option in stones which happens to be granite and quartz.