Final answer:
Brittle is the term that describes a material that breaks apart easily. Even hard materials like ionic compounds can be brittle and shatter when force is applied.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term brittle best describes a material that is likely to break apart easily. This property is often seen in materials that may be hard but shatter when a sufficient force is applied, causing the material to break along smooth, flat planes. Ionic compounds, for instance, tend to have this characteristic; they are typically hard due to strong ionic bonds but brittle because when enough force is applied, like-charged ions are forced together, and the repulsion leads to shattering.