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 8 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. Why did the bulb light with the foil strip but not the lolly stick?
2. What would a steel key across the gap probably do?
3. What happened when the foil strip was put across the gap?
4. What happened with the plastic ruler across the gap?
2.Where does the energy that lights a flashlight bulb come from?
A.The bulb itself
B.The batteries, which store energy
C.The switch
3.A flashlight will not light, but the bulb is fine. What should you check first?
A.Whether every part of the loop is joined
B.How heavy the flashlight is
C.The color of the flashlight
4.Which shows electric current turning into sound?
A.A bulb glowing
B.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
C.A heater warming a room
5.Why is the metal in a wire covered in plastic?
A.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
B.To make it carry more energy
C.To make it brighter
6.Why are electrical wires made of metal inside?
A.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
B.Metal is the cheapest material
C.Metal makes the wire heavier
7.A doorbell rings when its button is pressed. What does pressing it do?
A.It closes the loop, so the current reaches the bell
B.It makes the battery bigger
C.It winds up a spring
LessonPrint · 4-PS3-2 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Will the Bulb Light?
Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The foil carried the current across the gap and completed the loop; the wooden lolly stick did not. 2. Light the bulb, like the steel paperclip did. 3. The bulb lit. 4. The bulb stayed off.
2.The batteries, which store energy
3.Whether every part of the loop is joined
4.A buzzer sounding when the switch closes
5.Plastic does not let the current through, so it is safe to hold
6.Metal lets the current through, so energy can travel along it
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.