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Will the Bulb Light? is a free printable Grade 4 science worksheet on evidence that an electric current carries energy only around a complete loop, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 4-PS3-2. 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 12 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.

Will the Bulb Light?

4-PS3-2

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Will the Bulb Light?

Results from one battery, one bulb and some wires, set up eight different ways. ONE BATTERY, ONE BULB, EIGHT SET-UPS All the wires joined in a loop ............ bulb lit One wire left loose ....................... bulb off A foil strip across the gap ............... bulb lit A wooden lolly stick across the gap ....... bulb off A steel paperclip across the gap .......... bulb lit A plastic ruler across the gap ............ bulb off A buzzer added into the loop .............. bulb lit dimly, buzzer sounded Bulb taken out, buzzer still in the loop .. buzzer silent After a minute, the lit bulb felt warm. Same battery, same bulb, same wires every time.

  1. 1. Why did the buzzer go silent when the bulb was taken out?
  2. 2. When did the bulb light?
  3. 3. What happened with the plastic ruler across the gap?
  4. 4. The lit bulb felt warm. Where did that energy come from?
2.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
  • A.Metal makes the wire heavier
  • B.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  • C.Metal is the cheapest material
3.A doorbell rings when its button is pressed. What does pressing it do?
  • A.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell
  • B.It makes the battery bigger
  • C.It winds up a spring
4.A bulb lights at the far end of a long wire. What does that show?
  • A.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  • B.The bulb stored the energy beforehand
  • C.The wire made its own light
5.A flashlight will not light, but the bulb is fine. What should you check first?
  • A.The color of the flashlight
  • B.How heavy the flashlight is
  • C.Whether every part of the loop is joined
6.Where does the energy that lights a flashlight bulb come from?
  • A.The bulb itself
  • B.The batteries, which store energy
  • C.The switch
7.What does a switch do in a circuit?
  • A.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  • B.It makes the battery stronger
  • C.It stores the energy

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Taking the bulb out broke the loop, so nothing could reach the buzzer. 2. Only when the loop was complete, joined by wire, foil or a steel paperclip. 3. The bulb stayed off. 4. From the battery, carried along the wires to the bulb.
  2. 2.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  3. 3.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell
  4. 4.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  5. 5.Whether every part of the loop is joined
  6. 6.The batteries, which store energy
  7. 7.It opens or closes a gap in the loop

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 4-PS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.