1.
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
Bulb lights?
A
No
B spoon
C
Yes Yes
D
No
E
Yes
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 .....................................................................................….......
(ii) Object C is either the ................................
..........…............….. or the ...........................................................................................….
(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
1 mark
1 mark
1

(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.
2.
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.
1 mark
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
(b) Daniel has made a circuit.
The circuit contains one new battery, two new bulbs and a switch.
1 mark
2

The bulbs are not lit in Daniel’s circuit.
Why are the bulbs not lit in this circuit?
......................................................................................................................
(c) Draw a circuit diagram of Daniel’s circuit. Use these symbols.
1 mark battery switch bulb
1 mark
3.
Electricity
(a) Some children make this circuit to light a bulb.
The bulb is not lit.
Why is the bulb not lit?
......................................................................................................................
(b) The children make another circuit to light a bulb.
1 mark
The bulb is not lit.
Why is the bulb not lit?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
3

(c) Here are two photographs of circuits and five circuit diagrams.
A
B circuit 1
C
D circuit 2 E
Draw ONE line from each photograph to the matching circuit diagram.
(d) The bulb is not lit in circuit 2.
Why is the bulb not lit?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4.
Electricity
Tick ONE box for each circuit to show whether the bulb will or will not light. will light will not light
2 marks
1 mark will light will not light
1 mark
4

1 mark will light will not light will light will not light
5.
Electricity
(a) Naomi's torch is not working.
The cells (batteries) inside the torch are like this: bulb switch metal strip cell
1 mark
1 mark
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 cells and bulb.
of metal that makes it a good material to connect the
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
5

(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
6.
Circuits
(a) The children make a working model of a lighthouse.
2 marks
The switch in the circuit is made of card and aluminium foil.
In the picture, the switch is open.
What will happen to the bulb when the switch is closed?
......................................................................................................................
(b) Explain why this will happen when the switch is closed.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
1 mark
6

(c) Their circuit has one battery, one bulb and one switch.
Draw a circuit diagram to show their circuit.
Use only these symbols.
(d) The children want the bulb to glow more brightly. They use new batteries.
In which of the circuits below would the bulb glow most brightly when the switch is closed?
Tick ONE box.
1 mark
7.
Bright Lights
1 mark
(a) Jill made circuits with different lengths of wire, the same battery and the same bulb. The wire is coated in plastic.
She recorded her results in a table.
7

length of wire (m)
40
30
20
10
1 brightness of light from bulb no light dim glow faint light bright light very bright light
Look at the table.
Describe how changing the length of the wire in the circuit affects the brightness of the light.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2 marks
(b) Sharon had the same kind of wire.
She wanted to know how much wire she had on her reel.
When the reel of wire was connected into the same circuit there was a faint light from the bulb.
Use the information from the table.
How much wire was on the reel when there was a faint light from the bulb?
Tick ONE box less than 5 m 5 – 15 m 15 – 25 m
25 – 30 m more than 40 m
1 mark
8.
Circuits
(a) Two children made a model fairground ride.
They connected a battery to an electric motor to make the model turn.
8

The motor is not working.
What is wrong with this circuit?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(b) Draw a circuit diagram in which the switch can be used to turn the motor on and off.
You MUST use these three symbols in your diagram.
1 mark battery switch
M motor
(c) Here are two different circuits which use the same kind of battery and bulb.
1 mark
Which bulb will be the brightest ?
Tick ONE box. bulb A bulb B bulb C
(d) The outside of this plug is made of plastic so that you do not get a shock when you plug it in.
1 mark
9

Explain why the plastic helps to make the plug safe.
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
(e) Why is it dangerous to put a plug in when the plug is wet?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
9.
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.
1 mark
The bulb has not lit because the plastic spoon ............................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
The bulb has not lit because ........................................................................
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
10

The bulb has not lit because ........................................................................
......................................................................................................................
(b) Andy builds the circuit below. The bulbs do light up.
1 mark
Draw a circuit diagram for Andy’s circuit in the space below.
Use these symbols in your circuit diagram:
(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
1 mark
2. ..................................................................................................................
10.
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.
1 mark rest position
(Wires and cell hidden inside the box)
11

The metal ring and the thick wire both let electricity through.
What is the scientific name for materials that let electricity through?
......................................................................................................................
(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.
1 mark
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
(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.
2 marks
(d) To make the electrical circuit for the game, Sita uses a buzzer, a bulb and a cell
(battery).
1 mark
Label the symbols below by writing buzzer , bulb or cell .
.............................. .............................. ..............................
(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
12

......................................................................................................................
11.
Circuits and sensors
(a) Class 6D makes different circuits using the same type of bulbs, motors with fans and cells (batteries).
(i) Tick ONE box to show the circuit in which the bulb or bulbs are brightest.
– – – –
1 mark circuit 1 circuit 2 circuit 3 circuit 4
(ii) Explain why the circuit you chose has the brightest bulb or bulbs.
............................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
(b) Tick ONE box to show which circuit diagram below is correct for circuit 3.
1 mark
1 mark
M
M M
7 (c) Each of the circuits made by class 6D has one cell.
Complete the sentence below to explain the effect on the bulbs of adding a second cell to circuit 1.
The bulbs will ...............................................................................................
(d) Class 6D made three new circuits. They used a light sensor to measure the brightness of one of the bulbs in each circuit.
The sensor gave the results on the graph below.
1 mark
1 mark
13

bright
Light sensor reading dim
A B
Circuit
C
Write A , B or C next to each circuit below to show which circuit gave each light sensor reading on the graph.
– – – – – circuit
12.
Bathtime
....................
1 mark circuit .................... circuit ....................
1 mark
(e) Jack dries his hair with an electric hairdryer. He does not use the hairdryer in the bathroom because it might get wet.
Why is it dangerous to use an electric hairdryer near water?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
13.
Circuits
(a) Daisy and Rema make this circuit.
They close the switch but the electricity does not flow.
1 mark
The bulb does not light.
The electrical wires are connected properly.
14

Give TWO possible reasons why their circuit does not work when they close the switch.
(i) .............................................................................................................
1 mark
(ii) .............................................................................................................
1 mark
(b) They make another circuit. It works.
They put these objects into the gap in the circuit one at a time: steel scissors plastic comb cardboard strip aluminium spoon copper tube
The metal objects let the electricity flow through, and the bulb lights.
What is the scientific name for materials that let electricity flow through them?
......................................................................................................................
(c) Daisy says:
1 mark
Let's see which metal makes the bulb light most brightly.
Rema says:
But we cannot compare the metals because we used different shaped objects. Let's use wires instead.
They make three similar circuits. First they make their circuit with steel wire, then with copper wire, then with aluminium wire.
To compare their results, what must they keep the same about the wire in all three circuits and what must be different?
Tick ONE box in each row below.
15

Wire
Type of metal
Length
Thickness
Must be the same
Must be different
(d) The children can change the wire in their circuit to make the bulb brighter.
1 mark
Describe ONE other change that the children could make to their circuit to make this bulb brighter when they close the switch.
......................................................................................................................
1 mark
16