Which term defines how easily an object can be scratched?

Which term defines how easily an object can be scratched?

• A. Ductile
• B. Color
• C. Hardness
• D. Mass

Answer: (C)

Hardness is the property that measures how resistant a material is to being scratched. When two materials interact, the one with higher hardness resists scratches better, while a softer material gets scratched more easily. The Mohs scale is a common way to compare hardness, ranging from soft minerals like talc to the hardest, diamond. That makes hardness the term that best describes how easily an object can be scratched. Ductility relates to how a material can bend or be drawn into wire, color is about appearance, and mass is how much matter is in an object—none of these describe scratch resistance.

Hardness is the property that measures how resistant a material is to being scratched. When two materials interact, the one with higher hardness resists scratches better, while a softer material gets scratched more easily. The Mohs scale is a common way to compare hardness, ranging from soft minerals like talc to the hardest, diamond. That makes hardness the term that best describes how easily an object can be scratched. Ductility relates to how a material can bend or be drawn into wire, color is about appearance, and mass is how much matter is in an object—none of these describe scratch resistance.