Minecraft:Breaking

File:PunchTrees-GetWood.gif

A player mines a Minecraft:tree and obtains a Minecraft:log.

Breaking, digging, punching, or mining is a common activity in Minecraft:Minecraft, performed (by default) by holding the left mouse button or right trigger while the cursor is pointing at a Minecraft:block, or by long-pressing on the block on touch screens. Breaking is the primary way to remove unwanted blocks and acquire blocks for future placement or Minecraft:crafting.

Basics of breaking

By holding down the Template:Control button while looking at a block within range, the player's hand begins swinging, making a repetitive "thump" sound as the player hits the block. Cracks appear on the block, which show that it is being broken.

Template:IN, this range is 5.2 blocks in Minecraft:Creative mode, and 4.5 blocks otherwise. Template:IN, the range is 5 blocks when using a keyboard/mouse or controller input; when using touch input, the range is 12 blocks in Creative mode and 6 blocks otherwise.

Targeted blocks are marked with a wireframe cube outline; Template:In, this can be changed to a white highlight by disabling the "Outline Selection" option in video settings. After the cracking animation is finished and completely covers the block, it breaks and depending on the type of block and the Minecraft:tool used to do so, it may drop an Minecraft:item.

Although many blocks can be harvested with bare hands, certain ones require the use of a Minecraft:tool. In particular, to obtain resources from stone or metal-type blocks, the player must use a Minecraft:pickaxe. For harder blocks like Minecraft:iron ore or Minecraft:obsidian, a pickaxe made from a higher-tier material is required.

The player can use Minecraft:shovels, Minecraft:axes and Minecraft:hoes to speed up the breaking of dirt-type blocks, wood, and plant-type blocks, respectively. However, tools are not required to get the resource drop (with the exception of Minecraft:snow and Minecraft:snow blocks, which require a shovel to get a drop). A downside to this is that tools also have Minecraft:durability, so they eventually wear out.

The progress for breaking a block is reset if the target block changes while breaking. Progress is also reset whenever the Template:Control control is released. The player can move freely while breaking blocks. The player can even dig while jumping, swimming, or riding, although this reduces the breaking speed.

In Minecraft:Survival mode, however, some blocks are unbreakable, like Minecraft:bedrock, and in Minecraft:Adventure mode all blocks are unbreakable unless the player has an item or a tool with the can_destroy tag. In Minecraft:Spectator mode a player can't break blocks in any way, and in Minecraft:Creative mode all blocks are breakable unless the player is holding a Minecraft:sword, Minecraft:spear, Minecraft:debug stick, Minecraft:trident, or Minecraft:mace.

Mining efficiency

The player's mining efficiency (digging speed) is controlled by three factors: the block being broken, the item the player is currently wielding, and the mining penalties affecting the player. Every block has a hardness value, which determines the base amount of breaking time if the player hits it with their bare hands.

The base time in seconds is the block's hardness multiplied by:

• 1.5 if the player can harvest the block with the current tool;
• 5 if the player cannot.

Assuming that the player can harvest the block, the next check is whether the player's tool increases the breaking speed for the block. See Best tools for a full list.

If the Minecraft:tool helps, then it increases digging speed by a constant multiplier, given in the following table:

	Block	Tool Speed
No tool		1
Template:ItemSprite Wood		2
Template:ItemSprite Stone		4
Template:ItemSprite Copper		5
Template:ItemSprite Iron		6
Template:ItemSprite Diamond		8
Template:ItemSprite Netherite		9
Template:ItemSprite Gold		12
Template:ItemSprite Shears		2
	Template:BlockSprite Wool	5
	Template:BlockSprite Leaves	15
	Template:BlockSprite Cobweb	15
Template:ItemSprite Sword		1.5
Template:BlockSprite Cobweb	15
Template:BlockSprite Bamboo	30

If a proper tool is used, the tool speed is further increased by the Minecraft:Efficiency enchantment. If the level of Efficiency is not 0, then the level squared plus 1 is added to the tool speed. For example, Efficiency I adds 2 to the value, while Efficiency V adds 26. The speed is also increased by (20×level)% of Minecraft:Haste Template:In or multiplied by (0.2×level+1)×(1.2^level) Template:In.

Minecraft:Mining Fatigue decreases the speed by multiplying by (0.3^min(level,4)) Template:In or by (0.3^level)×(0.7^level) Template:In. Template:IN, increasing the effect level from II to III reduces the mining speed by a factor of 0.03 rather than 0.3.<ref name="MC-279819">Template:Bug</ref> Therefore, with level III the speed is reduced to 0.0027× of normal speed instead.

If the player's head is underwater and they are not wearing a helmet with the Minecraft:Aqua Affinity enchantment, breaking a block takes 5 times as long. If the player's feet are not touching the ground, an additional 5× penalty is added; this causes players floating in water to break blocks 25× slower than if they had been standing on land.

The total time to break a block is always a multiple of Template:Frac of a second, or 1 game tick; any remainder is rounded up to the next tick.

Instant breaking

When breaking a block, a tool and its enchantments do its speed value as "damage" to a block every game tick, and when that value exceeds the block's hardness times 30, the block breaks. If the tool and enchantments immediately exceed the hardness times 30, the block breaks with no delay; otherwise a 6 tick (Template:Frac second) delay occurs before the next block begins to break.

For example, a player with Minecraft:Haste II holding an Minecraft:Efficiency V Minecraft:diamond pickaxe (or Minecraft:netherite pickaxe) can break stone instantly, as the damage is (Template:Tooltip+Template:Tooltip)×Template:Tooltip=47.6, which is greater than the base hardness of stone (1.5) times 30 (which is 45). Players in Minecraft:Creative mode always break blocks instantly regardless of tools or status effects, except for when wielding a Minecraft:sword, Minecraft:spear, Minecraft:debug stick, Minecraft:trident or a Minecraft:mace, in which case the player is unable to break anything.

Calculation

Combining all of the information above yields the following pseudo-code to calculate how long in seconds a player takes to mine a certain block. All operations are floating-point, not integer.

if (isBedrockEdition):
  if (isBestTool):
    speedMultiplier = toolMultiplier
    if (not canHarvest):
      speedMultiplier = 1
    else if (toolEfficiency):
      speedMultiplier += efficiencyLevel ^ 2 + 1
  else:
    speedMultiplier = 1
else:
  speedMultiplier = mining speed for block determined by the tool item component
  if (speedMultiplier > 1):
    speedMultiplier += Minecraft:attribute(mining_efficiency) # normally efficiencyLevel ^ 2 + 1

if (haste or conduitPower):
  speedMultiplier *= 0.2 * max(hasteLevel, conduitPowerLevel) + 1

if (miningFatigue):
  # In Java Edition, Mining Fatigue actually follows hardcoded values for levels I, II, III, and IV. They are 0.3, 0.09, 0.0027, and 0.00081 respectively.<ref name="MC-279819" />
  speedMultiplier *= 0.3 ^ min(miningFatigueLevel, 4)Template:Only
  speedMultiplier *= 0.3 ^ miningFatigueLevelTemplate:Only

speedMultiplier *= Minecraft:attribute(block_break_speed)Template:Only # normally 1

if (inWater):
  speedMultiplier *= Minecraft:attribute(submerged_mining_speed)Template:Only # normally 0.2, or 1 with aqua affinity
   if (not hasAquaAffinity):
     speedMultiplier /= 5Template:Only

if (not onGround):
  speedMultiplier /= 5

damage = speedMultiplier / blockHardness

if (canHarvest):
  damage /= 30
else:
  damage /= 100

if (haste or conduitPower):
  damage *= 1.2 ^ max(hasteLevel, conduitPowerLevel)Template:Only

if (miningFatigue):
  damage *= 0.7 ^ miningFatigueLevelTemplate:Only

# Instant breaking
if (damage >= 1):
  return 0

ticks = roundup(1 / damage)

seconds = ticks / 20

return seconds

Calculator

The Template:JE values follow hardcoded values for levels I, II, III, and IV.<ref name="MC-279819" /> Calculators/Breaking speed

Best tools

The following table shows the most efficient tools to break specific blocks.

Tool	Material	Blocks	Notes
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	LiquidTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Not actually broken. Liquids cannot be targeted at all.
	SnowTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Can only be obtained with a bucket.
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	Plants and fungiTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Shears are required to collect vines and glow lichen. Silk Touch is required for whole melons without crafting, and giant mushroom blocks.
	WoodTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:ItemLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Bookshelves, campfires, soul campfires, chiseled bookshelves and creaking hearts require Silk Touch to drop as an item.
	BeesTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Nests require Silk Touch to drop as an item.
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	IceTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	All require Silk Touch to drop as an item.
	Metal ITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Any pickaxe is required to collect a block.
	Metal IITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Stone, copper, iron, diamond, or netherite pickaxe is required to collect a block.
	Metal IIITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Iron, diamond, or netherite pickaxe is required to collect a block.
	Metal IVTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Diamond or netherite pickaxe is required to collect a block.
	Chemistry equipment Template:OnlyTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	These blocks, except lab table, can be mined without a pickaxe, but it takes a long time.
	RailsTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink
	Rock ITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink (non-wooden) Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink (non-wooden) Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Pickaxe is required to collect a block, except for buttons, packed mud, and pointed dripstone. Mining a monster spawner with a pickaxe drops 15-43 experience, but the monster spawner itself does not drop, even with Silk Touch. Minecraft:Budding amethyst cannot be collected, even with Silk Touch. For amethyst buds, amethyst clusters, ender chests, coral blocks, coal ore, deepslate coal ore, nether quartz ore, nether gold ore, deepslate, and stone to drop themselves, they must be mined with a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch. Gilded blackstone has a chance to drop Minecraft:golden nuggets.
	Rock IITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Stone, copper, iron, diamond, or netherite pickaxe is required to collect a block. For the copper ore, deepslate copper ore, lapis lazuli ore, deepslate lapis lazuli ore, iron ore, and deepslate iron ore, Silk Touch is needed to collect the blocks themselves, or they drop their respective minerals.
	Rock IIITemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Iron, diamond, or netherite pickaxe is required to obtain drops. With the exception of the block of raw gold, a Silk Touch pickaxe is required to collect the ores themselves, or they drop their respective minerals.
	Rock IVTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Diamond or netherite pickaxe is required to collect a block. For glowing obsidian, Silk Touch is needed to collect the block, or it drops regular obsidian.
	Other	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	These can be collected without a tool, but pickaxes mine faster.
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	LeavesTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Shears or any Silk Touch-enchanted tools are required to collect leaves. Leaves drop their alternative items if any other tool is used.
	CobwebTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Can also be washed away by water. Sword or water is required to collect string. Shears or Silk Touch enchantment are required to collect cobweb.
	WoolTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	GroundTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Silk Touch-enchanted tools are required to collect clay, grass blocks, mycelium and podzol; otherwise it drops 4 clay balls for clay and dirt for the rest. Silk Touch-enchanted tools are also required to collect dirt path blocks, otherwise it drops dirt.Template:OnlyDirt path always drop dirt Template:In, even with Silk Touch-enchanted tools. Farmland always drop dirt when mined, even with Silk Touch. Suspicious sand and suspicious gravel cannot be obtained through mining, even with Silk Touch.
	SnowTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Shovel is required to collect snowballs from snow-type blocks, and Silk Touch-enchanted shovels are required to collect the block themselves. Template:Only Snow always drop snowballs in Bedrock Edition, even with Silk Touch-enchanted tools.
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	CobwebTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Can also be washed away by water. Sword or water is required to collect string. Shears or Silk Touch enchantment are required to collect cobweb.
	PlantsTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Damages the sword twice per bamboo broken.
	Other	Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only	Infested blocks cannot be obtained in Survival, even with Minecraft:Silk Touch.
Template:ItemLinkTemplate:Anchor	Plants, sponges and fungiTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Shears or any Silk Touch enchanted tool are required to collect leaves. Silk Touch is required to mine sculk-related blocks, or they drop experience. Sculk veins drop no experience.
Any (all tools are equally efficient)Template:Anchor	CircuitsTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	Can also be destroyed by liquids.
	GlassTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	For glass, glass panes, glowstone, sea lanterns, stained glass and stained glass panes to drop themselves, they must be mined with a tool enchanted with Silk Touch.
	PlantsTemplate:Anchor	Template:BlockLink	In Minecraft:Adventure mode, the Minecraft:sand block underneath the cactus is required to be broken with a shovel for the cactus to be broken.
	Other	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	Carpet can also be washed away by water. Dragon eggs cannot usually be mined directly because hitting it causes it to teleport. Mining is possible only if its entire teleportation radius is filled with blocks. Turtle eggs must be mined with Silk Touch. Frosted ice, reinforced deepslate, trial spawners and vaults never drop as an item, even with Silk Touch. Cake cannot be obtained after being placed, even with Silk Touch.
Any (instantly breaks; doesn't make tools lose durability)Template:Anchor	Redstone components	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	These blocks can also be washed away by Minecraft:liquids.Template:Only Breaking tripwire without shears causes the mechanism to turn on and off quickly.
	Plants, corals and fungi	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink	These blocks, except sugar cane, mangrove propagules, kelp, seagrass, tall seagrass, sea pickles, and non-solid coral blocks, can be washed out by Minecraft:water. Ferns, large ferns, grass and tall grass must be mined with shears; or they randomly drop seeds. Seagrass, bushes, short dry grass, tall dry grass and nether sprouts drop nothing when mined without shears. Tall grass, tall seagrass, and large ferns drop two of their respective plant when mined with shears. Dead bushes must be mined with shears to drop themselves; if anything else is used, only sticks drop. Hanging roots can only be obtained with Silk TouchTemplate:Only or shears. Twisting vines and weeping vines have a 2/3 chance to drop nothing if mined without Silk Touch, shears, or Minecraft:Fortune. Wheat, carrots, potatoes, beetroot, melon stem, and pumpkin stem are Minecraft:technical blocks, and cannot be obtained in the inventory at all.Template:Only
	Other	Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only	Flower pots, torches, soul torches, colored torches, underwater torches, and frogspawn can be washed out by water. Infested blocks and frogspawn cannot be obtained in Survival, even with Silk Touch. Decorated pots drop their respective sherds and bricks when mined with a tool not enchanted with Silk Touch, but not by any other method. Fire and soul fire are technical blocks, and cannot be obtained in the inventory at all.Template:Only
None (unbreakable)	Commands only	Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only	Light blocks cannot be targeted if a light block is not held.
	Other	Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only Template:BlockLink Template:BlockLinkTemplate:Only	Nether portal can be broken by placing water or lava in place of it, or by Minecraft:explosions. Air, bubble column, cave air, end gateway, end portal, nether portal, and void air are technical blocks, and cannot be obtained in the inventory at all.Template:Only

Blocks by hardness

Template:Info needed section Template:Hatnote The following table shows the time it takes to break each type of block. If there is no tool that helps speed up mining that block, the "tool" column is left empty. A few blocks are harvested faster with shears or a sword; these speeds are listed in the last two columns if different than "nothing". Any blocks with a breaking time of 0.05 seconds or less can be broken without the Template:Frac second (or 6 ticks) delay that occurs between each broken block; see instant breaking above. Any block that has a hardness of infinity ∞ actually has a hardness of -1. However, the breaking ticks start from 0, which means that effectively it can never break.

Legend:

• Template:Legend
• Template:Legend
• Template:Legend
• italicized can be Minecraft:instant mined

[edit values]

Videos

Template:Yt

History

Trivia

• In the code, unbreakable blocks use a hardness value of -1.
• Mining an ender chest with a wooden pickaxe takes the longest time in the game (16.9 seconds) to mine a block with the correct tool, without the effect of Minecraft:Mining Fatigue and other mining speed reduction events.