A student scratches a rock sample with his fingernail and leaves marks on the rock. What can be determined about this rock?(1 point)

Responses

It has large grains.
It has large grains.

It is made of hard minerals.
It is made of hard minerals.

It is made of soft minerals.
It is made of soft minerals.

It has small grains.

1 answer

The correct response is: It is made of soft minerals.

If the student was able to leave marks on the rock with a fingernail, it indicates that the rock has a hardness less than that of a fingernail (which has a hardness of about 2.5 on the Mohs scale). This suggests that the minerals in the rock are relatively soft.