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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 24 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. A new mineral is scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. Which is it most like?
  3. 3. What claim does this record support?
  4. 4. Which single test picks out mineral C on its own?
2.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.Decide they are different
  • C.Stop testing
3.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
4.Why use several tests rather than one?
  • A.More tests always give the same result
  • B.One test may give the same result for two different minerals
  • C.One test is never useful
5.Fool's gold looks like gold but leaves a greenish-black streak, while gold leaves a yellow one. What does that show?
  • A.Streaks are always black
  • B.Fool's gold is real gold
  • C.A streak test can tell apart minerals that look alike
6.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
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 24 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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