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 24 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
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. What happened when the foil strip was put across the gap?
2. Why did the bulb light with the foil strip but not the lolly stick?
3. What was kept the same in every set-up?
4. What would a steel key across the gap probably do?
2.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
3.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
4.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
5.A bulb lights at the far end of a long wire. What does that show?
A.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
B.The wire made its own light
C.The bulb stored the energy beforehand
6.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
7.A thin heater wire glows red. What has the current carried to it?
A.Water
B.Energy, given out as heat and light
C.Nothing at all
LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?
Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The bulb lit. 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. Light the bulb, like the steel paperclip did.
2.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
3.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
4.Whether every part of the loop is joined
5.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
6.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
7.Energy, given out as heat and light
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 4-PS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.