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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 19 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. What claim does this record support?
  3. 3. When did the bulb light?
  4. 4. What would a steel key across the gap probably do?
2.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
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.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
  • A.Metal is the cheapest material
  • B.Metal makes the wire heavier
  • C.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
5.What does a switch do in a circuit?
  • A.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  • B.It stores the energy
  • C.It makes the battery stronger
6.Why is the metal in a wire covered in plastic?
  • A.To make it brighter
  • B.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
  • C.To make it carry more energy
7.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 winds up a spring
  • C.It makes the battery bigger

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The bulb stayed off. 2. The battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat. 3. Only when the loop was complete, joined by wire, foil or a steel paperclip. 4. Light the bulb, like the steel paperclip did.
  2. 2.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  3. 3.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  4. 4.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  5. 5.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  6. 6.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
  7. 7.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell

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