Distinguish the difference between cleavage and fracture.


Answer: Cleavage and fracture differ in that cleavage is the break of a crystal face where a new face (resulting in a smooth plane) is formed, whereas fracture is the "chipping" shape of a mineral. All minerals exhibit a fracture. If a mineral with cleavage is chipped a certain way, it will fracture rather than cleave.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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