If you've ever wondered how hard boron is, we're happy to help. Boron is a metalloid that's extremely hard, ranking second only to diamond on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. That means it can scratch glass and other materials that rank lower on the Mohs scale than itself (a "hard" material). In fact, boron is so hard that it can be used in pyrotechnics and nuclear engineering applications. So if you ever find yourself wondering what would happen if you smashed your TV with a hammer made out of boron—don't worry!
You've probably heard of boron before—it's the mineral that makes up one fifth of the Earth's crust, after all. It's also used in certain types of glass, like Pyrex and laboratory flasks. But did you know that it's a metalloid? That means boron is not an element; it belongs to a larger class called metalloids. Metalloids are elements or compounds with properties between those of metals and nonmetals (like carbon). One way to think about this is by using atomic numbers: every element has an atomic number greater than lithium (which has an atomic number of 3) but less than uranium (with an atomic number 92). Boron has an atomic number 5—it’s right in the middle!
In addition to being a metalloid and having properties between those of metals and nonmetals, boron is extremely hard compared to other minerals in its category; diamond is technically harder but only because it’s made up almost entirely from carbon atoms rather than silicon ones like most other rocks contain.
Hardness is a measure of how easily a material can be scratched. The word "hard" refers to the fact that it is difficult for something to damage the material, while "soft" means that it is easy. Hardness is determined by measuring how much pressure you need to apply before you scratch or deform the surface of a material.
Hardness depends on several factors:
This is a great question, and one that many people have asked. Diamonds are the hardest known mineral, rating 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness (the other materials used to make this scale were all minerals). If you've ever wondered why diamonds are so hard and whether or not boron is harder than diamond, then read on!
To begin with, let's talk about what makes something "hard". Hardness refers to how difficult it is for something to scratch another material. A soft material will be more easily scratched by another harder substance than vice versa—in essence it has lower resistance against being scratched. In contrast, a hard material tends to have greater resistance against being scratched by other substances.
Boron is a hard mineral, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale. This means that boron is harder than talc (1), but softer than diamond (10).
Talc is a mineral that ranks 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It's made from the elements magnesium and silicon, and it's used in many products like baby powder and cosmetics.
Talc is mined from the earth, but it can be scratched with a fingernail.
Boron compounds have applications in industry ranging from pyrotechnics to nuclear engineering. As a hard material, boron can be used as an abrasive to cut through softer metals and materials such as steel, copper, lead and aluminum. In the construction industry, boric acid is used as an additive in concrete blocks to promote stronger bonding between the cement and aggregate particles. Boron compounds are also used in various forms of pyrotechnics including flares and fireworks.
In nuclear engineering applications such as fission reactors and particle accelerators (such as those found at CERN), boron-10 is commonly employed due to its stability under high temperatures and pressures; it does not break down into radioactive gases like other isotopes do when bombarded with neutrons.
Boron is the second-lightest element in the periodic table, so it is not surprising that these compounds have a wide range of uses. Boron compounds can be found in everything from nuclear engineering to pyrotechnics, aerospace engineering and electronics production.
Boron is one of the important elements used in nuclear energy production because it's an essential part of making nuclear fuel rods for power plants. It's also used as an additive to create borosilicate glass (which includes Pyrex and other products), since it helps prevent thermal shock by creating a more stable bond between other chemicals in this particular type of glassware. In addition, boron compounds are used as catalysts to improve chemical reactions within washing machines when they're mixed with detergent during the wash cycle.
Boron is neither a hard nor a soft material. The hardness of an element depends on its structure and chemical composition, not its atomic number (which tells you how many protons are in the nucleus). Boron (atomic number 5) is harder than quartz (atomic number 7), but not as hard as diamond (atomic number 10). So why do we say boron is "softer" than diamond? It's because boron has less internal energy than diamond, which means it can more easily change shape under stress or pressure.
We know that boron is neither a hard nor soft material because of its hardness values. In general, the harder a material is, the more abrasion it can withstand and the more likely it will be to scratch other materials.
For example, we know that quartz is more abrasion-resistant than talc (as shown by their Mohs’ hardness values). But if you were to rub your fingernail against either of these minerals on sandpaper, you would find that both would scratch your fingernail. This means that although quartz is harder than talc (and therefore has a higher resistance to abrasion), they are both equally easy to scratch with your fingernail when using sandpaper as an abrasive medium.
The scale of mineral hardness based on the scratch test was devised by Friedrich Mohs in 1812. The scale is based on the ability of one material to scratch another, with talc being the softest and diamond being the hardest. The relative hardness of minerals can be easily tested by simply touching the specimen to your fingernail or a piece of glass. If it scratches, it's harder than your nail (or glass). If not, it's softer.
The following table shows some common materials and their relative hardness using Mohs' scale:
Mohs devised this scale as a means to compare the hardness of minerals. He did so by identifying 10 common minerals that were easily obtainable and identified. Mohs then tested each of these against all other known minerals in order to determine their relative scratch resistance.
The basis for this scale is that diamond has a very high level of hardness (10 on the scale), while talc has a very low level of hardness (1). Each mineral is assigned a number based on its relative position on this scale with respect to diamond, talc, or another known mineral.
Boron is a hard material. This means that it takes a lot of energy to deform, fracture or scratch it. Boron rates around 5 on this scale while diamond rates 10 and talc rates 1.
However, if we measured the hardness of boron in terms of its ability to be scratched by other materials, it would likely rank much lower than diamond because it is softer than quartz (quartz rates at 7).
Boron is a hard material but not as hard as diamond. Boron is also softer than quartz, which is a very common mineral found in the Earth's crust and makes up most of its volume.
So while boron is pretty good at resisting scratches and dents, it won't be able to stand up to the same level of punishment that diamond can!
Boron is an intriguing material that has applications in many industries. It can be found in everyday life, but most people don’t realize it because it is so common. If you ever wondered what boron is and where it comes from, now you know!