Now that you have learned about circuits, it’s time to build one of your own!

Here is what you will need:

A flashlight bulb
A light bulb holder
A flashlight battery (a D battery or two double A batteries)
Two wires
Electrical tape

Here are the steps to build your own circuit. Remember to have your parent or teacher present while you work!

1. Screw the light bulb into the light bulb holder.
    
2. Tape the end of one wire to the bottom of the battery.
    
3. Screw the other end of the wire to the bulb holder.
    
4. Tape the end of the second wire to the top of the battery.
    
5. Touch the loose end of the wire to the screw on the bulb holder. See what happens!
   
    
    In building your circuit, you have made a pathway for the electricity to flow.
    

6. Take away the loose wire so that it no longer touches the light bulb holder. What happens? The light goes out. Why does this happen? When you touch the loose wire to the bulb holder, you close the circuit. The light bulb lights. When you take away the loose wire, you break the circuit. The bulb does not light!
    

7. Extra challenge! You will probably need two pairs of hands for this. It is possible to make the light shine using just one battery, one piece of wire and one bulb. See if you and your parent can do this! How does it work?

Video Instruction
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• How to Make a Simple Circuit [2:35]

• How to Make a Simple Circuit [1:02]

for Students, Parents and Teachers

Now let's do Practice Exercise 1-3 (top). Choose printer friendly or online exercises. Printer friendly version requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader 5. Click HERE to obtain a free copy.