Question: You used 3 scratch tools in class to test minerals for hardness: your fingernail, a penny, and a paperclip. If a mineral can be scratched by a penny, you can be sure that a (paperclip) will also scratch it. Explain how you know that tool would scratch the mineral.
Reference answer: A paperclip is harder than a penny, so if a penny can scratch a mineral, a paperclip can also scratch the mineral.

Student answer: I know the paperclip would scratch it because a paperclip is harder than a penny.

Student answer: I knew that because the paperclip is harder than the penny.

Student answer: I know that the paperclip would scratch the mineral because a paperclip is harder than a penny.

Student answer: Because the paperclip is an easier item to scratch a rock or mineral than a penny.

Student answer: I know that a paperclip will scratch it because it is the hardest tool that we used out of a fingernail, penny and paperclip.

Student answer: I know because the paperclip is a harder tool so if a softer tool can scratch it so can the paperclip.

Student answer: The paperclip can scratch the penny and the penny cannot scratch the paperclip so the paperclip is harder.

Student answer: You can scratch the penny with the paperclip so the penny is softer and if the penny could scratch the paperclip can scratch it.

Student answer: A paperclip is harder because we scratched the penny with the paperclip. The penny got a scratch.

Student answer: I know because a paperclip is harder than the penny. I figured that out by scratching the penny with the paperclip and it was harder.

Student answer: I know because a penny is softer than a paperclip.

Student answer: I know it because if a penny could scratch it I know that a paperclip can scratch a penny so a paperclip is harder than a penny. That is how I know.

Student answer: A paperclip is harder than a penny.

Student answer: Paperclip is harder than penny. So it should be able to scratch also.

Student answer: If the paperclip scratches it then the penny scratches it because they are almost the same hardness.

Student answer: Because the penny is the middle hardness and the paperclip is the hardest that is how I know it should scratched.

Student answer: Because it is the hardest tool.

Student answer: We listed the tool from least hardness to hard. This is the list. Fingernail, penny, paperclip.

Student answer: Because if the penny can scratch it the paperclip can too.

Student answer: Because if it is kind of hard as a penny.

Student answer: If you scratched the mineral with a penny you can sure scratch it with a paperclip because the penny or washer is harder than the paperclip so the paperclip can scratch the mineral.

Student answer: If the hardest tool can scratch the mineral then the second hardest can.

Student answer: I would know because the paperclip is the hardest so it should scratch the mineral.

Student answer: A paperclip is harder than a penny and the paperclip is like a penny.

Student answer: A paperclip to scratch a mineral you will see that it will have a scratch or it did not.

Student answer: Because if the washer is harder and I know that the paperclip is hard.

Student answer: Because a paperclip is harder than the washer and if the washer can scratch the mineral then the paperclip would scratch the minerals.

Student answer: If a washer scratched the mineral and the paperclip is harder than the washer than it would scratch the mineral too.

Student answer: You can scratch a mineral but the rock has to have a soft rock to do it.

Student answer: A paperclip is the hardest so if a penny can a paperclip can.

Student answer: Because it is just like a penny.

Student answer: A paperclip is also hard and it can make a mark.

Student answer: You 3 tools class test for your.

Student answer: Because it is bigger and harder.

Student answer: Because it is harder and it cannot scratch it.

Student answer: Because a penny is almost like a paperclip.

Student answer: Because a penny is a little bit harder than a fingernail and if a penny scratches a fingernail would scratch.

Student answer: I know that a paperclip will scratch it because a paperclip is stronger than a penny. So if a penny can scratch it, then a paperclip can scratch it.

Student answer: Because a penny is harder than a fingernail so that means that a penny is like the one that is harder than a fingernail.

Student answer: Because the paperclip is the hardest tool and the penny is almost the hardest so the paperclip can scratch the mineral.