Electricity Basics
Circuit Detectives
Derek’s Details
Safe & Surprising
What Would Happen?
100

What supplied energy to Derek’s flashlight?

The batteries.

100

What is the path for electric current called?

A circuit.

100

What color was Derek’s hoodie?

Yellow.

100

Who should you tell about a wet power cord?

An adult.

100

You open the switch in a working flashlight. What happens to the light? Why?

The light goes out because the circuit’s path is broken.

200

Electricity is a form of what?

Energy.

200

Does a closed circuit have a complete path or a broken path?

A complete path.

200

What shape was Derek’s sandwich?

A star.

200

What did Derek do when he saw the spill?

He stayed away and told Mr. Lee.

200

A battery-powered toy’s batteries run out of energy. What happens to the toy?

It stops working until it gets fresh or recharged batteries.

300

What metal inside the wire was a conductor?

Copper.

300

Why did the bulb go dark when Derek bumped the wire?

The loose wire broke the circuit’s path.

300

What trophy was missing from the second shelf?

The soccer trophy.

300

What color was Mrs. Park’s balloon?

Purple.

300

You replace part of a circuit’s copper wire with a piece of plastic. Will the bulb light? Why or why not?

No. Plastic is an insulator, so it does not let current flow easily through the circuit.

400

What material covered the wire as an insulator?

Plastic.

400

What part opens or closes a circuit?

A switch.

400

What time did Derek arrive at school?

8:05.

400

What is a buildup of electric charge called?

Static electricity.

400

You find a power cord with cracked plastic and exposed wires. What should you do?

Leave it alone, stay away, and tell an adult.

500

Name the two things electricity produced at lunch.

Movement in the fan and light in the bulb.

500

Mia reconnects the wire, but the switch stays open. Will the bulb light? Why?

No. The open switch still breaks the circuit.

500

Where did Mia find the lightning keychain?

Under her green notebook.

500

Why could the rubbed balloon stick to the wall?

Static electricity made the balloon attract the wall.

500

Your battery circuit’s bulb will not light. The switch is closed. Name two other things you could check.

Check whether the batteries have energy and whether all the wires are connected. Also accept checking the bulb.

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