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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 22 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. Why did the bulb light with the foil strip but not the lolly stick?
  3. 3. The lit bulb felt warm. Where did that energy come from?
  4. 4. What claim does this record support?
2.Which shows electric current turning into sound?
  • A.A heater warming a room
  • B.A bulb glowing
  • C.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
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.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
5.Where does the energy that lights a flashlight bulb come from?
  • A.The switch
  • B.The batteries, which store energy
  • C.The bulb itself
6.Why is the metal in a wire covered in plastic?
  • A.To make it carry more energy
  • B.To make it brighter
  • C.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
7.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

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Taking the bulb out broke the loop, so nothing could reach the buzzer. 2. The foil carried the current across the gap and completed the loop; the wooden lolly stick did not. 3. From the battery, carried along the wires to the bulb. 4. The battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat.
  2. 2.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  3. 3.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
  4. 4.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  5. 5.The batteries, which store energy
  6. 6.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
  7. 7.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery

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