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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 5 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. What was kept the same in every set-up?
  3. 3. What claim does this record support?
  4. 4. The lit bulb felt warm. Where did that energy come from?
2.Where does the energy that lights a flashlight bulb come from?
  • A.The bulb itself
  • B.The switch
  • C.The batteries, which store energy
3.A thin heater wire glows red. What has the current carried to it?
  • A.Energy, given out as heat and light
  • B.Nothing at all
  • C.Water
4.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
  • A.Metal makes the wire heavier
  • B.Metal is the cheapest material
  • C.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
5.A battery, a switch and a small motor are joined in a loop. What happens when the switch closes?
  • A.The battery turns instead
  • B.Nothing, motors need no energy
  • C.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery
6.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
7.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

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 5 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Taking the bulb out broke the loop, so nothing could reach the buzzer. 2. The same battery, the same bulb and the same wires. 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.The batteries, which store energy
  3. 3.Energy, given out as heat and light
  4. 4.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
  5. 5.The motor turns, using energy carried from the battery
  6. 6.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
  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.