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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 18 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 claim does this record support?
  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 winds up a spring
  • B.It makes the battery bigger
  • C.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell
4.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
5.A flashlight will not light, but the bulb is fine. What should you check first?
  • A.The color of the flashlight
  • B.Whether every part of the loop is joined
  • C.How heavy the flashlight is
6.Why is the metal in a wire covered in plastic?
  • A.To make it carry more energy
  • B.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
  • C.To make it brighter
7.A buzzer and a bulb are in the same loop. The wire breaks. What happens?
  • A.Only the buzzer stops
  • B.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
  • C.Both get louder and brighter

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 18. 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 battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat. 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.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  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.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete

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