Cleavage
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Image:Cleavage.jpg
cleavage
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Mineral cleavage is the tendency of crystalline MINERALS to Split, or cleave, along smooth plane surfaces. Because these cleavage planes are determined by the crystal structure, they are parallel to a crystal face and are set at definite angles to each other. A mineral's cleavage, described by the ease with which it Splits as well as its crystallographic direction, is characteristic and may be used to identify the mineral.