Describe how variations in an atomic nucleus account for its physical properties

Variations in an atomic nucleus can strong affect the physical properties, at least in minerals. If the atoms are arranged in a cubic structure, the resulting minerals will display cubic crystal structure and cubic cleavage For example, a sample of galena which is cubic can be s mashed into tiny  pieces and the tiny pieces will still be cubic thanks to the atomic structure. So the crystal structure of minerals and also the cleavage are definitely controlled by the atomic arrangement.