Compare the mineral halite (NaCl, hardness of 2.5) to diamond which is pure carbon chemically bonded to itself in a network. Are the mineral's chemical bonds covalent, polar covalent, or ionic? Which mineral is harder?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-09T21:22:23

Clearly, #"diamond"# is harder than #"halite"#.

On Mohs scale, isn't diamond assigned a #10# on the basis of hardness?

Halite is almost a purely ionic material.