1. Cleavage and Fracture

2. Cleavage: Cleavage is a minerals ability to split easily along smooth flat surfaces. They split because there are zones of weakness in the mineral. There are several types of cleavage.

3. Basal: Splits in only one direction – flat sheets. Example - mica

4. 2 planes: Splits in two directions with smooth, flat surfaces Example - feldspar

5. Cubic: Splits in 3 directions at right angles Example – halite or galena

6. Rhombic: Splits in 3 directions not at right angles Example - calcite

7. Fracture: Is when a mineral does not split apart evenly. Geologists use several terms to describe mineral fracture.

8. Conchoidal: Or shell-like is a smooth curved break Example - Quartz

9. Hackly: Means that it breaks with jagged points Example – pure metals like copper and iron

10. Irregular: Is an uneven break Example – magnetite or hematite

11. Fibrous: Is when it breaks into string like pieces Example - asbestos