John Buchan Middle School
Science Test Revision
4F Circuits and Conductors
39 min
38 marks
Name
John Buchan Middle School
1
Level 3
1.
Conducting electricity
(a)
Year 6 are testing objects to see if they conduct electricity.
cell
(battery)
bulb
The children use
this circuit to test
the objects.
clip
clip
The children place the objects between the clips.
How will the children know if each object conducts electricity?
.......................................................................................................................
1 mark
(b)
Does each object conduct electricity?
Write yes or no in each row of the table.
Object
Does the object conduct electricity?
wooden ruler
steel scissors
sheet of paper
rubber
brass pin
2 marks
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2
2.
Simple circuit
(a)
Sue has a cell (battery), some wire and a bulb.
She makes a simple circuit.
Sue joins these objects into the circuit, to see if the bulb lights:
cork
iron nail
copper rod
plastic ruler
steel spoon
She records her results in this table.
Object
A
B
C
D
E
Yes
No
Yes
spoon
Bulb lights?
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No
Yes
3
Object B is the steel spoon.
Complete the sentences below to say what objects A and C are.
(i)
Object A is either the ......................................................…..... or
the .....................................................................................….......
1 mark
(ii)
Object C is either the ..........................................…............….. or
the ...........................................................................................….
1 mark
(b)
Some of the objects are electrical insulators.
Some are electrical conductors.
Use the information in Sue’s table. Write A, B, C, D and E in the correct
group below to sort the objects.
Electrical insulators
Electrical conductors
1 mark
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4
(c)
David makes a circuit with two bulbs and one cell (battery).
He draws a picture of it.
In the space below, draw a circuit diagram of David’s circuit.
Use symbols.
1 mark
3.
Circuits
(a)
Lisa and James are testing different materials in a circuit.
When they connect a steel fork in the circuit, the bulb lights.
They put three other objects in the circuit, one at a time.
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Complete the table of results, to show what they found, by putting ONE tick
for each object.
One has been done for you.
bulb
lights
bulb
does not
light
steel fork
plastic comb
wooden spoon
aluminium foil
1 mark
(b)
Daniel has made a circuit.
The circuit contains one new battery, two new bulbs and a switch.
The bulbs are not lit in Daniel’s circuit.
Why are the bulbs not lit in this circuit?
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
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(c)
Draw a circuit diagram of Daniel’s circuit. Use these symbols.
battery
switch
bulb
1 mark
Level 4
4.
Materials
(a)
Sarah and Rob are investigating the properties of materials.
They compare wood, steel, paper, wax, aluminium and copper.
They use a key to sort the materials.
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7
Complete the key by writing wood, steel, paper and wax in the correct answer
boxes at the bottom of the key.
Use each word once.
You may put more than one word in an answer box.
Does it conduct electricity?
Yes
No
Is it attracted to a magnet?
Yes
Does it melt?
No
Yes
No
aluminium
copper
2 marks
5.
Electricity
(a)
Naomi's torch is not working.
The cells (batteries) inside the torch are like this:
bulb
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switch
metal strip
cell
8
Naomi puts the cells back in a different way and the torch works.
Write + and – in the correct place in each cell below to show how Naomi puts
them back.
1 mark
(b)
Inside the torch, a metal strip connects the cells and bulb.
Describe ONE property of metal that makes it a good material to connect the
cells and bulb.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
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(c)
In the space below, draw a circuit diagram of Naomi's torch with the cells put in
correctly.
Use only the following symbols:
cell
bulb
switch
2 marks
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10
6.
Identifying Materials
(a)
Kate and Ravi discussed the materials some things were made from.
Complete each sentence below by writing ONE correct letter in each box.
Use a letter only once.
A – an electric
insulator
B – transparent
D – an electric
conductor
C – absorbent
E – waterproof
(i)
Slate is used for roofs because it is
(ii)
Glass is used for windows because it is
(iii)
Plastic is used for the outside of the electric cable because it is
3 marks
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11
(b)
Anna investigated some other materials.
She recorded the properties of each material in a table.
Complete the table.
The first row has been done for you.
Properties
Materials
magnetic
transparent
conducts
electricity
waterproof
steel nail
yes
no
yes
yes
newspaper
.......
.......
.......
.......
wax candle
.......
.......
.......
.......
copper pipe
.......
.......
.......
.......
3 marks
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12
Level 5
7.
Train in the tunnel
(a)
Andrea wants a light bulb to light up when her toy train is pushed through a
tunnel. She makes an electric circuit for her toy train.
Andrea makes a tunnel and puts a strip of foil inside the tunnel roof.
The picture shows Andrea’s tunnel and the wiring on her train.
position of foil inside
the tunnel roof
foil
foil
strip 1
foil
strip 2
+
tunnel
bulb
–
cell (battery)
wire
The foil strips on the train act like a switch. When both foil strips on the train
touch the foil inside the tunnel roof, the bulb lights up.
Complete the circuit diagram below by drawing the switch and the bulb to show
the circuit on Andrea’s train.
(i)
(ii)
2 marks
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(b)
Give ONE property of metal foil which makes it a good material for Andrea to use
as a switch.
.....................................................................................................................
1 mark
(c)
When only one foil strip on the train is touching the foil in the tunnel, the bulb
does not light up.
Complete the sentence to explain why the bulb does not light up.
The circuit ...................................................................................................
1 mark
(d)
The bulb on the train only lights up when all of the train is inside the tunnel.
Andrea wants to improve her circuit so the bulb lights up when the train has only
just entered the tunnel.
Which train has foil strips that would allow the bulb to light when the train has only
just entered the tunnel?
Tick ONE box.
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
1 mark
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8.
Electricity
(a)
Shana builds the three circuits below. All the equipment works.
The bulbs in the circuits are not lit up.
Complete each sentence to explain why the bulb has not lit in each circuit.
The bulb has not lit because the plastic spoon ............................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
The bulb has not lit because ........................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
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The bulb has not lit because ........................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
(b)
Andy builds the circuit below. The bulbs do light up.
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Draw a circuit diagram for Andy’s circuit in the space below.
Use these symbols in your circuit diagram:
1 mark
(c)
Andy wants to change his circuit so that the two bulbs are brighter.
He can use any other equipment.
Suggest TWO ways Andy can make his two bulbs brighter.
1. ..................................................................................................................
1 mark
2. ..................................................................................................................
1 mark
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9.
The Steady Hand Game
(a)
Sita has made a game. In her game, she has to move a metal ring along a piece
of thick wire until it reaches the rest position.
When she is moving it, the metal ring must not touch the wire. If it touches the
wire, a bulb will light and a buzzer will make a noise.
rest
position
(Wires and cell
hidden inside
the box)
The metal ring and the thick wire both let electricity through.
What is the scientific name for materials that let electricity through?
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
(b)
Sita made the rest position by covering the wire with an insulating material. When
she puts the metal ring down on the rest position, the bulb and buzzer cannot
work.
Which materials might Sita have used to insulate the wire for the rest position?
Tick the three correct boxes.
clear sticky tape
copper wire
plasticine
newspaper
steel wool
aluminium foil
2 marks
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(c)
The bulb and buzzer will only work in Sita’s game when the metal ring touches
the wire.
Tick ONE box to show which is the correct circuit for her game.
1 mark
(d)
To make the electrical circuit for the game, Sita uses a buzzer, a bulb and a cell
(battery).
Label the symbols below by writing buzzer, bulb or cell.
..............................
..............................
..............................
1 mark
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(e)
Kalinda plays the game. She thinks the buzzer should be louder.
How can Sita change her circuit so that the same buzzer makes a louder sound?
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
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20