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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 22 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. A and D both leave a white streak. Which test tells them apart?
  3. 3. Which mineral scratched glass?
  4. 4. Which minerals left a white streak?
2.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Stop testing
  • B.Decide they are different
  • C.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
3.A mineral scratches glass. What does that tell you?
  • A.It is harder than glass
  • B.It is softer than glass
  • C.It is made of glass
4.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One a coin cannot scratch
  • B.One that scratches glass
  • C.One a fingernail can scratch
5.What does the streak test show?
  • A.How heavy the mineral is
  • B.How shiny the mineral is
  • C.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
6.Why is a mineral's streak better evidence than its color?
  • A.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  • B.Color cannot be seen
  • C.Streak is prettier
7.What is a mineral's "shine," or luster?
  • A.The way its surface reflects light
  • B.How heavy it feels
  • C.How hot it gets in the sun

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Mineral C. 2. The scratch test: a fingernail scratches A but not D. The vinegar test works too, because only D fizzes. 3. Mineral B. 4. Mineral A and mineral D.
  2. 2.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  3. 3.It is harder than glass
  4. 4.One a fingernail can scratch
  5. 5.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
  6. 6.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  7. 7.The way its surface reflects light

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