In mineralogy, tenacity is a mineral's behavior when deformed or broken.
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Main article: Brittleness |
The mineral breaks or powders easily. Most ionic-bonded minerals are brittle.[1]
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Main article: Malleability |
The mineral may be pounded out into thin sheets. Metallic-bonded minerals are usually malleable.
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Main article: Ductility |
The mineral may be drawn into a wire. Ductile materials have to be malleable as well as tough.
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Main article: Sectility |
May be cut smoothly with a knife. Relatively few minerals are sectile. Sectility is a form of tenacity and can be used to distinguish minerals of similar appearance.[2] Gold, for example, is sectile but pyrite ("fool's gold") is not.
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Main article: Elasticity (physics) |
If bent by an external force, an elastic mineral will spring back to its original shape and size when the stress, that is, the external force, is released.
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Main article: Plasticity (physics) |
If bent by an external force, a plastic mineral will not spring back to its original shape and size when the stress, that is, the external force, is released. It stays bent.