Year 4 Science · Switches, conductors and insulators · Summary

Year 4 Science Switches, conductors and insulators: summary and key words

Part of the Year 4 Science switches, conductors and insulators chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

Chapter summary

Skill	Method
Switches	A closed switch completes the loop, so the lamp lights. An open switch breaks the loop, so the lamp does not light.
Conductors	A conductor lets electricity flow through it, and it completes the loop in the tester. Metals are good conductors.
Insulators	An insulator does not let electricity flow. Plastic, rubber, wood and glass are insulators.
The conductor tester	A cell, a bulb holder and two clips. The lamp lights for a conductor, and stays off for an insulator.
Switches and materials	Metal contacts are conductors. A plastic handle is an insulator that keeps the user safe.

I can say that a switch opens and closes a circuit, and whether the lamp lights
I can use a conductor tester to decide whether a material is a conductor or an insulator
I can say that metals are good conductors, and name some metals
I can name some insulators, and say why wires have an insulating coating
I can explain why a switch uses both a conductor and an insulator
I can plan a fair test to check whether a material is a conductor

switch: a part that opens or closes a circuit
closed: a switch position that completes the loop, so the electricity can flow
open: a switch position that breaks the loop, so the electricity cannot flow
conductor: a material that lets electricity flow through it
insulator: a material that does not let electricity flow through it
metal: a material such as copper, steel or aluminium; metals are good conductors
graphite: a form of carbon that is used in pencil lead, and conducts electricity
coating: a covering round a wire, made of an insulator such as plastic
conductor tester: a loop with a cell, a bulb holder and two clips, used to test materials