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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 15 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 happened with the plastic ruler across the gap?
  2. 2. Why did the bulb light with the foil strip but not the lolly stick?
  3. 3. What was kept the same in every set-up?
  4. 4. What claim does this record support?
2.A buzzer and a bulb are in the same loop. The wire breaks. What happens?
  • A.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
  • B.Both get louder and brighter
  • C.Only the buzzer stops
3.What does a switch do in a circuit?
  • A.It stores the energy
  • B.It makes the battery stronger
  • C.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
4.A bulb lights at the far end of a long wire. What does that show?
  • A.The wire made its own light
  • B.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  • C.The bulb stored the energy beforehand
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.Why is the metal in a wire covered in plastic?
  • A.To make it brighter
  • B.To make it carry more energy
  • C.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
7.A battery, a switch and a small motor are joined in a loop. What happens when the switch closes?
  • A.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery
  • B.The battery turns instead
  • C.Nothing, motors need no energy

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 15 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 15. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The bulb stayed off. 2. The foil carried the current across the gap and completed the loop; the wooden lolly stick did not. 3. The same battery, the same bulb and the same wires. 4. The battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat.
  2. 2.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
  3. 3.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  4. 4.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  5. 5.Whether every part of the loop is joined
  6. 6.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
  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.