Fracture (mineralogy)

Fracture in mineralogy means how minerals break into pieces. When we drop a mineral on a hard surface, it may break into pieces in different ways. Some minerals will break into small chunks with straight edges, while others will break into irregular, uneven shapes. This is called the mineral's fracture. It is simply how the mineral reacts to being broken or smashed.

There are different types of fractures, and they depend on how the mineral breaks. Conchoidal fractures occur when the mineral breaks into smooth, curved shapes that look like the inside of a seashell, while fibrous fractures are when the mineral breaks into thin, curved fibers. Cleavage is another type of fracture, where the mineral breaks along flat or smooth planes.

Mineralogists use the fracture of a mineral to help identify what type of mineral it is. Different minerals have different characteristics, and their fracture can help identify them. For example, quartz has a conchoidal fracture, while mica has a cleavage fracture. By examining the mineral's fracture, scientists can determine what type of mineral they are studying.