In a mineral, weak atomic bonding in one or more directions gives rise toGroup of answer choicessplittingcleavageconchoidal fracturecrystal facessymmetry

Breakdown of the Problem

1. Identify the terms relevant to mineral properties.
2. Determine which term describes weak atomic bonding leading to specific characteristics in minerals.

Relevant Concepts

• Cleavage: The tendency of a mineral to break along specific planes of weakness, often correlated with weak atomic bonding.
• Conchoidal Fracture: A curved surface formed when a mineral breaks irregularly.
• Crystal Faces: The flat surfaces that make up the external shape of a crystal.
• Symmetry: Relates to the balanced arrangement of minerals, not directly related to bonding.
• Splitting: Generally refers to breaking but is not specific to crystal structure.

Analysis and Detail

• Cleavage indicates a mineral’s ability to break along predetermined planes due to weak atomic bonds in those directions.
• Conchoidal fracture occurs when there are no planes of weakness, leading to a more random break.
• Crystal faces and symmetry do not directly relate to the nature of atomic bonding.

Verify and Summarize

Given the definitions and relationships, the term that best describes the phenomenon of weak atomic bonding resulting in directional splitting is "cleavage."

Final Answer

Cleavage is the correct answer, as it describes the property of a mineral where weak atomic bonding allows for splitting in one or more directions.