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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 2 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 single test picks out mineral C on its own?
  2. 2. A new mineral is scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. Which is it most like?
  3. 3. Why was every mineral given the same five tests?
  4. 4. Which mineral scratched glass?
2.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Decide they are different
  • B.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  • C.Stop testing
3.Four gray minerals are tested and only one is pulled by a magnet. What is that test good for?
  • A.Picking that one out from the rest
  • B.Telling the other three apart
  • C.Finding how hard they are
4.What does the streak test show?
  • A.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
  • B.How heavy the mineral is
  • C.How shiny the mineral is
5.A mineral scratches glass. What does that tell you?
  • A.It is softer than glass
  • B.It is made of glass
  • C.It is harder than glass
6.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
7.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One that scratches glass
  • B.One a coin cannot scratch
  • C.One a fingernail can scratch

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The magnet test, because only C was pulled by a magnet. 2. Mineral A, which is also scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. 3. So the results can be compared and each mineral told apart from the others. 4. Mineral B.
  2. 2.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  3. 3.Picking that one out from the rest
  4. 4.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
  5. 5.It is harder than glass
  6. 6.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  7. 7.One a fingernail can scratch

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