EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along certain planes to make smooth surfaces. Halite breaks between layers of sodium and chlorine to form cubes with smooth surfaces (figure 6). A mineral that naturally breaks into perfectly flat surfaces is exhibiting cleavage.

Detailed explanation-2: -In earth science, cleavage refers to how some minerals break along flat planes when exposed to stress, such as being hit with a hammer. Cleavage creates smooth, flat surfaces that reflect light.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -Cleavage. The way in which a mineral breaks along smooth flat planes is called cleavage. These breaks occur along planes of weakness in the mineral’s structure. However, if a mineral breaks along an irregular surface, it does not have cleavage.