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6th grade Identify a mineral from its properties worksheet

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Identify a mineral from its properties

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  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 gold-like look and a dark green streak
    • A dark, metallic look that shines under a lamp
    • A black-gray streak and a strong pull to a magnet

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

  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?

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

  4. Read this first

    NPS Mohs Hardness Scale

    mineralhardness
    talc1
    gypsum2
    calcite3
    fluorite4
    apatite5
    feldspar6

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

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

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

  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?

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

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

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

  8. Noah reads a claim: "A mineral that scratches glass is softer than glass." Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: it must be softer than 2.5
    • Disagree: it is harder than 5.5
    • Agree: the scratcher is the softer one
    • Agree: glass cannot be scratched

  9. Ren reads a test note: "Streak test done on the shiny, glazed side of a tile. No line seen." What is the flaw?

    • Luster is tested on a tile
    • The tile should be wet first
    • Streak needs the rough, unglazed side
    • The sample's outside color should be checked instead

  10. 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 means the sample is quartz
    • Pink minerals have no hardness

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

    • Pennies cannot scratch minerals
    • The scratched one is softer: the sample is under 3.5
    • Hardness is tested by color
    • The note is right: a scratch shows the sample is the harder one
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6th grade Identify a mineral from its properties worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Identify a mineral from its properties. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can name the four main mineral tests: hardness, luster, streak, and cleavage or fracture.
  • I can use the Mohs scale and common objects (fingernail, penny, glass, nail) to bracket a mineral's hardness.
  • I can tell look-alikes apart (pyrite and gold, hematite and magnetite, quartz and fluorite) with a test, not by color.

Standard: supports MS-ESS2-1

Words to know

mineral: A natural, nonliving solid with a set makeup and an orderly crystal pattern

hardness: How well a mineral resists being scratched (Mohs 1 to 10)

luster: How the surface reflects light: glassy, metallic, pearly, dull

streak: The color of a mineral's powder rubbed on unglazed tile

cleavage: Splitting along flat, weak planes, like mica's sheets

fracture: Breaking in curves or rough edges, like quartz

Common mistakes

Your child named a mineral by its color alone. One mineral can come in many colors, and look-alikes share colors. Try sorting a few objects by color, then by a second test.

Your child read the scratch test backward. The harder material does the scratching; the one that gets scratched is softer. Ask which of two objects left the mark.

Your child mixed up the names of the tests. Luster is shine, streak is powder color, hardness is scratching, and cleavage is splitting. Try a quick match game with the four words.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with identify a mineral from its properties?

Your child named a mineral by its color alone. One mineral can come in many colors, and look-alikes share colors. Try sorting a few objects by color, then by a second test.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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