the tendency of a mineral to break along a smooth, flat surface
luster
cleavage
ores
hardness
color
streak
fracture
The tendency of a mineral to break along a smooth, flat surface is called cleavage.
Here are the definitions of the other terms you mentioned:
- Luster: It refers to the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral. It can be described as metallic, glassy, silky, dull, etc.
- Ores: Ores refer to rocks or minerals that contain valuable minerals, metals, or elements that can be extracted and processed for economic gain.
- Hardness: Hardness refers to the mineral's resistance to being scratched or its ability to scratch other materials. It is measured on the Mohs scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).
- Color: Color refers to the visible appearance of a mineral. However, it is not always a reliable property for identification, as many minerals can appear in different colors.
- Streak: Streak refers to the color of the powdered form of a mineral. It is determined by rubbing the mineral on a streak plate. Streak color can sometimes be different from the color of the mineral itself.
- Fracture: Fracture refers to the way a mineral breaks when it does not exhibit cleavage. It can be described as conchoidal (similar to broken glass), uneven, fibrous, etc.
The tendency of a mineral to break along a smooth, flat surface is known as cleavage. Cleavage is an important property used to identify minerals. To determine if a mineral has cleavage, you can follow these steps:
1. Obtain a sample of the mineral you want to test.
2. Examine the sample to see if it has any visible breaks or cracks along smooth, flat surfaces.
3. To get a better idea of the cleavage, you can use a magnifying glass or microscope to observe the mineral's structure more closely.
4. Compare the observed breaks to reference cleavage diagrams or descriptions of various minerals to determine the type and quality of cleavage present.
It is important to note that not all minerals exhibit cleavage. Some minerals have a property called fracture, which means they break unevenly and don't produce smooth, flat surfaces. The presence or absence of cleavage can help in mineral identification and characterization.