Definition

A tool that measures how hard a material is by checking how much pressure is needed to push a diamond point into it.

Example

The engineer used a sclerometer to test the hardness of the new metal alloy.

Conversation

Have you ever seen a sclerometer in action?

No, I haven't. What does it do?

It's used to measure how hard different materials are.

That sounds interesting! I’d love to learn more about it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sclerometer → It is formed from "sclero-" (from Greek "skleros", meaning hard) and "-meter" (from Greek "metron", meaning measure). The word "sclerometer" refers to an instrument used to measure hardness.

Memory Tip

Think of measuring something that is 'hard' ('sclero-') with a tool that 'measures' ('-meter'). This helps you remember that a sclerometer is used to measure hardness.

Visually Confused Words