Simple Circuits 1 Worksheet

Learning about how electric circuits work is fun! You are going to use so many electrical devices in your lives that it's really important to have some sort of idea about how they work. Working with circuits gives you important knowledge that will help you to use things correctly, to work out why things might not work and how to put that right.

In this worksheet there are lots of different circuits drawn for you. All you have to do is to look at them carefully and decide whether it's going to work or not.

Have Fun!

Will this circuit work?

1 cell/1 lamp

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

Will this circuit work?

yes

no

The last two questions are about electric circuits that don't work. You have to look at each one and decide why it doesn't work.

Here's the first one:

there is no battery

there's a gap in the circuit

the wires attach to only one terminal of the battery

Here's the second one that won't work - why not?

there is no battery

both wires are attached to the same terminal

only one wire is attached to the battery

ANSWERS

Question 1

Will this circuit work?

1 cell/1 lamp

CORRECT ANSWER

yes

EDDIE SAYS

Here we have a battery connected to a bulb - wires come from either end of the battery, both connect to the metal part of the bulb, so it's a complete circuit - it'll work!

ANSWERS

Question 2

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

no

EDDIE SAYS

Here we have two batteries connected to a bulb - wires come from either end of the batteries, both connect to the metal part of the bulb, BUT the batteries are not connected together - that means that there's a gap in the circuit, so the bulb won't light up.

ANSWERS

Question 3

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

yes

EDDIE SAYS

Here we have two batteries connected to a bulb - wires connect to the metal part of the bulb, BUT although the batteries are connected together at their + side, one battery is not connected at the - end. That means that the electric current skips that battery out - only one battery is connected to the bulb, but it still comes on, lighting up with the electricity from that one battery.

ANSWERS

Question 4

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

yes

EDDIE SAYS

Here we have two batteries connected to a bulb - wires connect to the metal part of the bulb, the batteries are connected correctly (+ to -) so the circuit is complete and because there are two batteries supplying the electric current, the bulb will be brighter than with one battery.

ANSWERS

Question 5

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

yes

EDDIE SAYS

Here we have a battery connected to a bulb in a wiggly sort of a way, but the wires all connect to the right places, so the bulb is on.

ANSWERS

Question 6

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

no

EDDIE SAYS

In this circuit, we appear to have a complete circuit ... but something's missing: a battery! Without anything to push the electricity around, the bulb won't light up.

ANSWERS

Question 7

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

yes

EDDIE SAYS

In this circuit we have a battery and two bulbs. The bulbs are connected correctly to each other and to either end of the battery, so it's a complete circuit. The bulbs will light but as there's only one battery they won't be very bright.

ANSWERS

Question 8

Will this circuit work?

CORRECT ANSWER

no

EDDIE SAYS

In this circuit we have two batteries connected together but if you look carefully you can see that one connection to the bulb doesn't touch it. That means that there's a gap in the circuit, so the bulb won't come on.

ANSWERS

Question 9

The last two questions are about electric circuits that don't work. You have to look at each one and decide why it doesn't work.

Here's the first one:

CORRECT ANSWER

the wires attach to only one terminal of the battery

EDDIE SAYS

To start off with this looks like a complete circuit; but look closer and you'll see that the wires both come from the positive (+) end of the battery. That means that it cannot push electricity around the circuit - BOTH ends must be connected for it to do that.

ANSWERS

Question 10

Here's the second one that won't work - why not?

CORRECT ANSWER

only one wire is attached to the battery

EDDIE SAYS

Here the circuit won't work because there is a gap in it - one wire doesn't connect to the battery terminal (end) so the circuit is not complete and the bulb will not light up.