KS2 Science textbook

Chapter 10: Switches, conductors and insulators

Strand Electricity
Level Year 4
Practice 85 questions with step-by-step solutions

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 science, Year 4. Content: E4 recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit, and associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit, E5 recognise some common conductors and insulators, and associate metals with being good conductors.

Open Year 4 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

Explain that a switch opens and closes a circuit, and link this to whether the lamp lights
Use a conductor tester to decide whether a material is a conductor or an insulator
Name some conductors, and say that metals are good conductors
Name some insulators, and say why wires have an insulating coating
Explain how a switch uses both a conductor and an insulator
Plan a fair test to check whether a material is a conductor

You should already know

The parts of a series circuit, and when a lamp lights (Year 4 Science, Chapter 9)
Materials and their properties, such as hard, soft and shiny (Year 4 Science, Chapter 6, and Year 1 Science)

Where this leads

Electricity and circuits in more detail, including voltage and components (Year 6 Science)
Building safe circuits with a grown-up, and choosing materials for a purpose (Year 5 and Year 6 Science)

Lessons in this chapter

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).