EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Cleavage/Fracture: A mineral has cleavage if it breaks apart into smooth, flat planes. A mineral has fracture if it breaks apart into uneven, rough, jagged pieces.

Detailed explanation-2: -Background: Cleavage is the property of a mineral that allows it to break smoothly along specific internal planes (called cleavage planes) when the mineral is struck sharply with a hammer. Fracture is the property of a mineral breaking in a more or less random pattern with no smooth planar surfaces.

Detailed explanation-3: -Definitions. Cleavage-The tendency of a mineral to break along flat planar surfaces as determined by the structure of its crystal lattice. These two-dimensional surfaces are known as cleavage planes and are caused by the alignment of weaker bonds between atoms in the crystal lattice.

Detailed explanation-4: -Spiral fractures occur when the bone is twisted apart. As a result, the ends of the bone may be sharp, jagged, and slanted.

Detailed explanation-5: -Conchoidal fracture. Earthy fracture. Hackly fracture. Splintery fracture. Uneven fracture.