Identify a mineral from its properties

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Hematite and magnetite can look alike, dark and metallic. Which pair of results would show Ari that a sample is magnetite?

   • A red-brown streak and a mild pull toward a magnet
   • A dark, metallic look that shines under a lamp
   • A gold-like look and a dark green streak
   • A black-gray streak and a strong pull to a magnet
2. 2.

   Fluorite (4) is often mistaken for quartz (7). A steel nail (6.5) leaves no scratch on Bo's purple sample. Which is it, and why?

   • Quartz: it is softer than the nail
   • Fluorite: it is purple
   • Quartz: it is harder than 6.5
   • Fluorite: it is harder than the nail
3. 3.

   Esme reads about a gold-colored grain that crumbles when poked with a metal point and leaves a dark streak. What is it most likely?

   • Gold, from its gold color and shine
   • Hematite, from its gold color
   • Gold, as gold crumbles when it is poked
   • Pyrite, from its streak and crumbling

4. Read this first

   NPS Mohs Hardness Scale

   mineral	hardness
   talc	1
   gypsum	2
   calcite	3
   fluorite	4
   apatite	5
   feldspar	6

   Beside it, the rock-cycle boxes: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic (minerals make up all three)

5. 4.

   A mineral scratches a copper penny (3.5) but not a glass plate (5.5). Using the scale, which mineral could it be, Jun?

   • Feldspar (6)
   • Talc (1)
   • Calcite (3)
   • Fluorite (4)
6. 5.

   A mineral is scratched by a fingernail (2.5) but can scratch talc. Using the scale, which mineral fits, Kira?

   • Talc (1)
   • Apatite (5)
   • Calcite (3)
   • Gypsum (2)
7. 6.

   A mineral scratches a glass plate (5.5) but not a steel nail (6.5). Using the scale, which mineral could it be, Luz?

   • Feldspar (6)
   • Fluorite (4)
   • Quartz (7)
   • Apatite (5)
8. 7.

   Milo's classmate says two minerals of the same color must be the same mineral. Agree or disagree?

   • Disagree: pyrite and gold share a color but not a streak
   • Agree: color names a mineral
   • Agree: two minerals with one color will share a streak too
   • Disagree: minerals have no color
9. 8.

   Pia says mica and halite both show cleavage, but quartz shows fracture. Agree or disagree?

   • Agree: mica and halite split flat; quartz breaks in curves
   • Agree: cleavage means a mineral is soft
   • Disagree: mica shows fracture
   • Disagree: quartz splits into flat, smooth sheets just as mica does
10. 9.

    A test note says: "Sample is pink, so it is feldspar." What is the flaw, Tala?

    • Feldspar breaks in smooth curves rather than flat planes
    • Color alone is weak; test hardness or cleavage too
    • Pink minerals have no hardness
    • Pink means the sample is quartz
11. 10.

    A test note says: "A copper penny scratched the sample, so the sample is harder than the penny." What is the flaw, Zee?

    • The scratched one is softer: the sample is under 3.5
    • The note is right: a scratch shows the sample is the harder one
    • Hardness is tested by color
    • Pennies cannot scratch minerals