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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 16 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. What was kept the same in every set-up?
2.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
  • A.Metal is the cheapest material
  • B.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  • C.Metal makes the wire heavier
3.Which shows electric current turning into sound?
  • A.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  • B.A bulb glowing
  • C.A heater warming a room
4.A thin heater wire glows red. What has the current carried to it?
  • A.Water
  • B.Nothing at all
  • C.Energy, given out as heat and light
5.A bulb lights at the far end of a long wire. What does that show?
  • A.The bulb stored the energy beforehand
  • B.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  • C.The wire made its own light
6.What does a switch do in a circuit?
  • A.It stores the energy
  • B.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  • C.It makes the battery stronger
7.Where does the energy that lights a flashlight bulb come from?
  • A.The bulb itself
  • B.The batteries, which store energy
  • C.The switch

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 16 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 16. 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. The same battery, the same bulb and the same wires.
  2. 2.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  3. 3.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  4. 4.Energy, given out as heat and light
  5. 5.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  6. 6.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  7. 7.The batteries, which store energy

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