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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 14 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. What would a steel key across the gap probably do?
  2. 2. The lit bulb felt warm. Where did that energy come from?
  3. 3. What claim does this record support?
  4. 4. What happened when the foil strip was put across the gap?
2.Which shows electric current turning into sound?
  • A.A bulb glowing
  • B.A heater warming a room
  • C.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
3.A thin heater wire glows red. What has the current carried to it?
  • A.Nothing at all
  • B.Water
  • C.Energy, given out as heat and light
4.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
5.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
6.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
  • A.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  • B.Metal is the cheapest material
  • C.Metal makes the wire heavier
7.A battery, a switch and a small motor are joined in a loop. What happens when the switch closes?
  • A.The battery turns instead
  • B.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery
  • C.Nothing, motors need no energy

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Light the bulb, like the steel paperclip did. 2. From the battery, carried along the wires to the bulb. 3. The battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat. 4. The bulb lit.
  2. 2.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  3. 3.Energy, given out as heat and light
  4. 4.Whether every part of the loop is joined
  5. 5.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  6. 6.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  7. 7.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery

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