fracture
Fracture
Flint does not have cleavage because it is a microcrystalline form of quartz and does not exhibit cleavage like minerals with well-defined crystal structures. Flint tends to fracture conchoidally, producing smooth curved surfaces when broken.
No, not all minerals have cleavage. Cleavage is a property in which a mineral breaks along planes of weakness to form smooth surfaces. Some minerals exhibit cleavage, while others may fracture irregularly or have no cleavage at all.
Yes. Quartz can have very well-formed crystals but lacks cleavage.
Anatase, a mineral form of titanium dioxide (TiO2), typically exhibits cleavage rather than fracture. It has perfect cleavage along the {101} crystal face, allowing it to break along smooth, flat planes. However, when it does fracture, it tends to produce uneven surfaces. Overall, its cleavage is more prominent and characteristic than its fracture.
The dominant form of breakage for sulfur is brittle fracture, where the material breaks without significant deformation. This is due to the atomic structure of sulfur, which consists of weak van der Waals forces between the molecules, leading to easy cleavage and fracture.
cleavage
Obsidian does not have cleavage because of the way it forms. Obsidian is essentially nature's form of glass and so it has no regular or patterned crystal structure. Without that crystal structure, there is no cleavage.
True. A mineral can exhibit a distinct crystal form while lacking cleavage, which is the tendency to break along specific planes of weakness. For example, quartz has a well-defined crystal structure but does not exhibit cleavage; instead, it fractures conchoidally. This distinction highlights the complexities of mineral characteristics beyond just crystal form and cleavage.
The eight properties used to identify minerals are color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage, fracture, specific gravity, and crystal form. Color is the visible hue of the mineral, while streak refers to the color of the powder it leaves on a surface. Luster describes how light reflects off the mineral's surface, and hardness measures its resistance to scratching. Cleavage and fracture indicate how a mineral breaks, specific gravity assesses its density, and crystal form refers to the geometric shape of its crystals.
Color: Observe the color of the mineral. Hardness: Use the Mohs scale to determine the mineral's hardness. Cleavage and fracture: Check how the mineral breaks. Luster: Determine if the mineral is metallic or non-metallic. Streak: Identify the color of the mineral's powdered form. Specific gravity: Measure the density of the mineral. Acid reaction: Test if the mineral reacts with acid.
In a hand sample/specimen you can the properties used to identify minerals are luster, diaphaneity, color, streak, luminescence, play of colors, crystal shape, tenacity, cleavage, hardness, specific gravity and density, magnetism, electrical properties, reaction to acid.