Hardness

Imagine trying to decide which grocery bag will hold your heavy items without tearing. Just like how you assess which bag is strong enough to resist breaking under the weight, a mineral's hardness is about its ability to resist being scratched by other objects. The connection here is that both scenarios involve testing the material's strength against external force: the bag against the weight of groceries, and the mineral against the pressure of being scratched.

Real World Example Illustration