The relative hardness of a mineral can best be tested by

a) scratching the mineral across a glass plate

b. squeezing the mineral with calibrated pliers

c. determining the density of the mineral

d. breaking the mineral with a hammer

The relative hardness of a mineral can be tested by the Moh’s scale or the mineral hardness. The Moh’s scale can be characterized by the ability of the mineral to resist scratch resistance by scratching a harder or softer mineral. It has a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. The relative hardness of a mineral can best be tested by scratching the mineral across a glass plate. The answer is letter A.