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Scratch, Shine and Streak is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on identifying minerals from a table of test results, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-PS1-3. It prints 7 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 14 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Scratch, Shine and Streak

5-PS1-3

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Four Unlabeled Minerals

Test results for four unlabeled minerals, each tested the same five ways. WHAT EACH MINERAL DID Mineral A: scratched by a fingernail, pearly shine, white streak, not pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral B: scratches glass, glassy shine, no streak, not pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral C: not scratched by a coin, metallic shine, black streak, pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral D: scratched by a coin but not a fingernail, glassy shine, white streak, not pulled by a magnet, fizzes with vinegar Tests: scratch, shine, streak on a rough white tile, magnet, a drop of vinegar.

  1. 1. Which mineral was pulled by a magnet?
  2. 2. Which minerals left a white streak?
  3. 3. Which mineral scratched glass?
  4. 4. Why was every mineral given the same five tests?
2.Fool's gold looks like gold but leaves a greenish-black streak, while gold leaves a yellow one. What does that show?
  • A.A streak test can tell apart minerals that look alike
  • B.Streaks are always black
  • C.Fool's gold is real gold
3.Why is a mineral's streak better evidence than its color?
  • A.Streak is prettier
  • B.Color cannot be seen
  • C.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
4.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  • B.Stop testing
  • C.Decide they are different
5.Why use several tests rather than one?
  • A.More tests always give the same result
  • B.One test is never useful
  • C.One test may give the same result for two different minerals
6.What is a mineral's "shine," or luster?
  • A.How heavy it feels
  • B.How hot it gets in the sun
  • C.The way its surface reflects light
7.A mineral fizzes when a drop of vinegar is put on it. What does that show?
  • A.It is melting
  • B.It is magnetic
  • C.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Mineral C. 2. Mineral A and mineral D. 3. Mineral B. 4. So the results can be compared and each mineral told apart from the others.
  2. 2.A streak test can tell apart minerals that look alike
  3. 3.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  4. 4.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  5. 5.One test may give the same result for two different minerals
  6. 6.The way its surface reflects light
  7. 7.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 5-PS1-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.