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6th grade Identify a mineral from its properties worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Identify a mineral from its properties

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Under a desk lamp, Bo tilts a mineral to see whether its surface shines like glass or like metal. Which property is that?

    • Luster
    • Streak
    • Hardness
    • Fracture

  2. Esme reads that a mineral splits into flat, smooth sheets along weak planes. Which property does that describe?

    • Cleavage
    • Streak
    • Fracture
    • Luster

  3. Read this first

    Table (NPS; USGS), columns mineral, hardness, luster, how it breaks

    Talc, 1, pearly or greasy, cleavage flakes; feldspar, 6, glassy, two cleavages at right angles; quartz, 7, glassy, curved fracture, no cleavage. Beside it, the rock-cycle boxes: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic (minerals make up all three).

  4. Jun's property card lists three minerals. Using the card, which one is the softest?

    • Talc
    • Feldspar
    • Gypsum
    • Quartz

  5. Using the card, which mineral breaks along two flat directions at right angles, Kira?

    • Feldspar
    • Halite
    • Talc
    • Quartz

  6. Using the card, how does quartz break, Luz?

    • Into cleavage flakes
    • With a curved fracture
    • It does not break
    • Along two cleavages at right angles

  7. A fingernail (hardness 2.5) scratches talc (hardness 1). Which one is harder, Milo?

    • Neither has a hardness
    • The talc
    • The fingernail
    • They are equally hard

  8. Noah reads that quartz (7) scratches a glass plate (5.5), but the glass leaves no mark on the quartz. Which one is harder?

    • Both are the same
    • The glass plate
    • The quartz
    • Neither, as glass is not a mineral

  9. On the Mohs scale, fluorite is 4 and apatite is 5. Which can scratch the other, Pia?

    • Fluorite scratches apatite
    • Neither can scratch the other
    • Apatite scratches fluorite
    • Each scratches the other

  10. Ren wonders if a dark sample is hematite. Which test would show a red-brown result if it is?

    • Tilting it to see how it shines
    • Weighing it on a kitchen scale
    • Looking at its outside color
    • A streak test on unglazed tile

  11. Zee reads that common micas can be black, brown or clear. What color is the streak of each one?

    • Black, brown or clear, like its color
    • Red-brown
    • White
    • Golden yellow
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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.

More grade 6 science

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