Gina's group classified their mineral samples based on relative hardness. They considered the minerals that have a hardness of less than five as relatively soft, and those with a hardness of five or above as relatively hard. They showed their groupings in a table.

Question

A 2 column table with 3 rows. The first column is labeled Relatively soft minerals with entries: Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Goethite. Second column is labeled Relatively hard minerals with entries: Hematite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite.

What does Gina’s group need to do to correct the information in the table?

Bornite needs to be switched with pyrite.
Pyrite needs to be switched with goethite.
Goethite needs to be switched with pyrrhotite.
Pyrrhotite needs to be switched with hematite.

Answer 1

To correct the information in the table, Gina's group needs to ensure that the minerals are classified according to their correct hardness levels.

Bornite, Chalcopyrite, and Goethite are considered relatively soft minerals (with a hardness of less than five). In contrast, Hematite, Pyrite, and Pyrrhotite are classified as relatively hard minerals (with a hardness of five or above).

Thus, to correct the table:

• Bornite should remain in the relatively soft column.
• Chalcopyrite should also remain in the relatively soft column.
• Goethite (hardness of around 5.0) needs to be evaluated; its classification can vary slightly based on sources, but generally, it is placed around 5, which may make it borderline.
• Hematite (hardness of around 5.5-6.5), Pyrite (hardness of 6-6.5), and Pyrrhotite (hardness of around 3.5-4.5) are all classified as relatively hard.

In conclusion, the entry that needs to be corrected is Goethite needs to be switched with Pyrrhotite.

So, in Gina’s classification, Goethite may need to be moved to the hard mineral section or clarified due to its critical hardness value. Hence, Pyrrhotite should be acknowledged as the correct relatively soft mineral instead.