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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.

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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 would a steel key across the gap probably do?
  2. 2. What happened when the foil strip was put across the gap?
  3. 3. When did the bulb light?
  4. 4. What was kept the same in every set-up?
2.A thin heater wire glows red. What has the current carried to it?
  • A.Nothing at all
  • B.Energy, given out as heat and light
  • C.Water
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 lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  • B.Metal makes the wire heavier
  • C.Metal is the cheapest material
5.What does a switch do in a circuit?
  • A.It makes the battery stronger
  • B.It stores the energy
  • C.It opens or closes a gap in the loop
6.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 bulb stored the energy beforehand
  • C.The wire made its own light
7.A battery, a switch and a small motor are joined in a loop. What happens when the switch closes?
  • A.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery
  • B.The battery turns instead
  • C.Nothing, motors need no energy

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Light the bulb, like the steel paperclip did. 2. The bulb lit. 3. Only when the loop was complete, joined by wire, foil or a steel paperclip. 4. The same battery, the same bulb and the same wires.
  2. 2.Energy, given out as heat and light
  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.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  7. 7.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery

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