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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 9 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 minerals left a white streak?
  3. 3. Which single test picks out mineral C on its own?
  4. 4. Which mineral was pulled by a magnet?
2.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Stop testing
  • B.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  • C.Decide they are different
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.Finding how hard they are
  • C.Telling the other three apart
4.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One that scratches glass
  • B.One a fingernail can scratch
  • C.One a coin cannot scratch
5.Why is a mineral's streak better evidence than its color?
  • A.Color cannot be seen
  • B.Streak is prettier
  • C.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
6.A mineral fizzes when a drop of vinegar is put on it. What does that show?
  • A.It is melting
  • B.It is magnetic
  • C.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
7.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

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 9. 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 and mineral D. 3. The magnet test, because only C was pulled by a magnet. 4. Mineral C.
  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.One a fingernail can scratch
  5. 5.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  6. 6.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
  7. 7.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile

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