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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 23 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. Why was every mineral given the same five tests?
  2. 2. Which single test picks out mineral C on its own?
  3. 3. A new mineral is scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. Which is it most like?
  4. 4. What claim does this record support?
2.What does the streak test show?
  • A.How heavy the mineral is
  • B.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
  • C.How shiny the mineral is
3.Four gray minerals are tested and only one is pulled by a magnet. What is that test good for?
  • A.Telling the other three apart
  • B.Picking that one out from the rest
  • C.Finding how hard they are
4.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
5.A mineral scratches glass. What does that tell you?
  • A.It is harder than glass
  • B.It is made of glass
  • C.It is softer than glass
6.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One a coin cannot scratch
  • B.One a fingernail can scratch
  • C.One that scratches glass
7.A mineral fizzes when a drop of vinegar is put on it. What does that show?
  • A.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
  • B.It is melting
  • C.It is magnetic

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.

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