Changes

A [[mineral]]'s tenacity is its capacity to resist the stress of crushing, tearing, bending, or breaking. Tenacity is usually described by the following terms:

A [[mineral]]'s '''tenacity''' is its capacity to resist the stress of crushing, tearing, bending, or breaking. Tenacity is usually described by the following terms:

<table><tr><td>''Brittle''<td>Easily broken into a powder by cutting or hammering.</td></tr>

<table><tr><td>''Brittle''<td>Easily broken into a powder by cutting or hammering.</td></tr>

<tr><td>''Malleable''<td>Can be hammered into thin sheets like [[gold]] or [[copper]].</td></tr>

<tr><td>''Malleable''<td>Can be hammered into thin sheets like [[gold]] or [[copper]].</td></tr>

<tr><td>''Flexible''<td>Can be bent, but will not return to original form when stress is released.</td></tr>

<tr><td>''Flexible''<td>Can be bent, but will not return to original form when stress is released.</td></tr>

<tr><td>''Elastic''<td>Can be bent (like a spring) and will return to original form when stress is released.</td></tr></table> Chesterman, p. 32

<tr><td>''Elastic''<td>Can be bent (like a spring) and will return to original form when stress is released.</td></tr></table> Chesterman, p.&nbsp;32

=Sources=

=Sources=

*Chesterman, Charles W. ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals'', Alfred A. Knopf: New York (1987)

*Chesterman, Charles W. ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals'', Alfred A. Knopf: New York (1987)

[[category:geology]]

[[Category:Geology]]