Hardness of ice

[the_diego]

@Triskadecamus

Mineral Ice is highly variable in hardness, depending on a number of factors. Mohs value of 1.5 is often give.

Tris

1.5? That’s a bit soft. You can drill your finger through talc (1) while you can scratch a groove into gypsum (2) with your nail. Ice is no where near as hard as crystalline calcite (3) though.

[AaronX]

Obligatory hardness isn’t strength isn’t stiffness isn’t brittleness.

[donkeyoatey]

@Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus

… those stereotypical “igloos”, though made of ice blocks, are actually stone masonry!

Igloos are made of snow.

[the_diego]

^^
relative scratchability.

[MrDibble]

@Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus

I never thought of ice as a mineral until I saw it listed in a mineralogical field guide. I was surprised, but it does meet the definition of one.

By the actual common definition, sensu strictu, it shouldn’t be one, as it doesn’t meet the “Stable at room temperature” criterion of the definition. It was grandfathered in (as is elemental Hg) by the IMA

[dstarfire]

@Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus

I never thought of ice as a mineral until I saw it listed in a mineralogical field guide. I was surprised, but it does meet the definition of one.

So those stereotypical “igloos”, though made of ice blocks, are actually stone masonry!

So THAT’S where the Freemasons went!!