A matsayin wani ɓangare na wannan aikin, ya fara rarraba ma'adanai ta hanyar halayensu na zahiri, maimakon tsarin sunadarai, kamar yadda aka saba yi. Wannan girmamawa ga halaye na zahiri ya saba wa tsarin tsarin sunadarai. Duk da haka, duka Theophrastus da Pliny the Elder sun kwatanta yanayin taurin ma'adanai da aka sani a gare su a cikin tsohuwar duniya, gami da lu'u-lu'u da ma'adinai. Sun san cewa lu'u-lu'u na iya yin katako da ma'adinai, don haka ya nuna cewa ya fi wuya. Wannan ya zama tushen ma'aunin taurin da Mohs ya bunkasa. An ba da ma'adinai mafi wuya, lu'u-lu'u, darajar 10 da ma'adanai masu laushi kamar talc an ba su ƙimar 1 (unity). An ba da sauran ma'adanai masu tsaka-tsaki, dangane da ikon su na yin wani ma'adinai a cikin ma'adinai. Don haka an ba gypsum darajar 2 saboda za ta yi karce?
halaye na zahiri