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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 8 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 and D both leave a white streak. Which test tells them apart?
  3. 3. Why was every mineral given the same five tests?
  4. 4. Which mineral scratched glass?
2.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
3.Why use several tests rather than one?
  • A.One test may give the same result for two different minerals
  • B.One test is never useful
  • C.More tests always give the same result
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 fizzes when a drop of vinegar is put on it. What does that show?
  • A.It is magnetic
  • B.It is melting
  • C.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
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.Streak is prettier
  • C.Color cannot be seen
7.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

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The magnet test, because only C was pulled by a magnet. 2. The scratch test: a fingernail scratches A but not D. The vinegar test works too, because only D fizzes. 3. So the results can be compared and each mineral told apart from the others. 4. Mineral B.
  2. 2.The way its surface reflects light
  3. 3.One test may give the same result for two different minerals
  4. 4.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile
  5. 5.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
  6. 6.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  7. 7.It is harder than glass

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