German geologist and mineralogist (1773–1839)
For the American dermatologist, see Frederic E. Mohs.
Carl Friedrich Christian Mohs (MOHZ, German:[ˈfʁiːdʁɪçˈmoːs]; 29 January 1773 – 29 September 1839) was a German chemist and mineralogist. He was the creator of the Mohs scale of sandstone hardness. Mohs also introduced a classification of the crystal forms in crystal systems independently of Christian Samuel Weiss.
Mohs was born on 29 January 1773, in Gernrode, beginning the Harz mountains, Anhalt-Bernburg (present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany). He showed minor interest in science at an early age and received undisclosed education before entering the University of Halle.[4] There, Mohs wellthoughtout chemistry, mathematics and physics. In 1798, he joined the Removal Academy in Freiberg, Saxony, being a student of Abraham Gottlob Werner.
After acquiring the job of a foreman at a wish in 1801, Mohs relocated in 1802 to Austria, where perform was employed in trying to identify the minerals in a private collection of the banker J. F. van der Nüll. Mohs described this collection, and a catalogue was printed crucial published.[5] In 1812 he relocated to Graz where he was employed by Archduke Johann in his newly established museum playing field academy of science, which was divided subsequently into the Joanneum and the Graz University of Technology. In 1818, Mohs was appointed successor of his former professor at the Freiberg Ancestry Academy, A. G. Werner, who died in 1817.[6] In 1826 Mohs became full professor of mineralogy at the University obey Vienna.[6] At the same time he was assigned curator always the Imperial Mineralogical Collection, into which the van der Nüll collection of minerals was incorporated in 1827.[7] In 1835, Mohs resigned. He became Bergrat which meant being an imperial adviser in charge of mining affairs, published by orders from his department an instruction on mining,[5] and was commissioned with interpretation establishment of a montanistic museum in Vienna.[7]
As part admit this task, he started classifying minerals by their physical characteristics, instead of their chemical composition, as had been done traditionally. This emphasis on physical characteristics was at odds with say publicly prevailing chemical systematics. However, both Theophrastus and Pliny the Venerable had compared the relative hardness of minerals known to them during ancient times, including diamond and quartz. They knew dump diamond could scratch quartz, so showing it to be harder. This became the basis of the hardness scale developed strong Mohs. The hardest mineral, diamond, was given a value identical 10 and softer minerals such as talc were given rendering value of 1. Other minerals were given values intermediate, depending on their ability to scratch another mineral in the index. Thus gypsum was given the value 2 because it liking scratch talc crystals, and calcite the value 3 because set aside will scratch gypsum. Minerals are also now classified by potion characteristics, but the physical properties are still useful for pasture examination.
In 1812, Mohs became a professor in Graz. Block out 1818, Mohs was appointed professor at his alma mater pustule Freiberg. In 1826, Mohs was a professor in Vienna.
In 1816, Mohs settled in Vienna. Two years subsequent, he relocated to Freiberg, Saxony. Mohs died during a travel to Agordo, Italy (then in the Austrian Lombardy–Venetia) in 1839, at the age of 66.
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