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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 6 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 was kept the same in every set-up?
  2. 2. Why did the buzzer go silent when the bulb was taken out?
  3. 3. What happened when the foil strip was put across the gap?
  4. 4. What claim does this record support?
2.A bulb lights at the far end of a long wire. What does that show?
  • A.The bulb stored the energy beforehand
  • B.The wire made its own light
  • C.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
3.A buzzer and a bulb are in the same loop. The wire breaks. What happens?
  • A.Only the buzzer stops
  • B.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
  • C.Both get louder and brighter
4.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
5.A flashlight will not light, but the bulb is fine. What should you check first?
  • A.How heavy the flashlight is
  • B.The color of the flashlight
  • C.Whether every part of the loop is joined
6.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
7.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

LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 6 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?

Set 6. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The same battery, the same bulb and the same wires. 2. Taking the bulb out broke the loop, so nothing could reach the buzzer. 3. The bulb lit. 4. The battery sends energy around a complete loop, and the bulb gives it out as light and heat.
  2. 2.Energy traveled along the wire from the battery
  3. 3.Both stop, because the loop is no longer complete
  4. 4.Energy, given out as heat and light
  5. 5.Whether every part of the loop is joined
  6. 6.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell
  7. 7.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it

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