Reasoning Card

41

The metal maze wire goes through the modelling clay here
and the end sticks out. The end is connected to the rest of
the circuit.

Osman and Marta have made a buzzer game. The player

moves the loop around the metal wire maze, trying not to
touch it. If the loop touches the maze wire, the buzzer sounds.
If the player gets all the way around without sounding the
buzzer, they win. Using your knowledge of conductors and
insulators, answer the following:

Explain why the buzzer sounds when the metal loop

touches the metal maze wire.

Plastic tape is used at each end of the maze. Why do you

think this is?

The loop handle also has plastic tape surrounding it. Why
do you think this is?

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Reasoning Card
41

The metal maze wire goes through the modelling clay here
and the end sticks out. The end is connected to the rest of
the circuit.

Osman and Marta have made a buzzer game. The player

moves the loop around the metal wire maze, trying not to
touch it. If the loop touches the maze wire, the buzzer sounds.
If the player gets all the way around without sounding the
buzzer, they win. Using your knowledge of conductors and
insulators, answer the following:

Explain why the buzzer sounds when the metal loop

touches the metal maze wire.

Plastic tape is used at each end of the maze. Why do you

think this is?

The loop handle also has plastic tape surrounding it. Why
do you think this is?

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 Reasoning Card Answer

Reasoning Card 4
Explain why the buzzer sounds when the loop touches the maze wire.

The maze wire and the loop wire are both metal. Metals are conductors of electricity. When the loop touches the maze wire, it completes the
circuit with the cell and the buzzer which makes the buzzer sound.

Plastic tape is used at each end of the maze. Why do you think this is?

Plastic is an electrical insulator. You can rest the loop here at the beginning or end of the game and it won’t complete the circuit - the circuit
will be incomplete. This means the buzzer is not constantly going off and the cell will not run out of energy.

The loop handle also has plastic tape surrounding it. Why do you think this is?

This is also due to plastic being an electrical insulator and is a safety measure. The handle is the part that the player holds so needs to be
covered in an insulator to protect the player if the metal loop touches the metal wire and completes the circuit.

Science | Year 4 | Electricity | Conductors and Insulators | Lesson 4 visit twinkl.com