A student forgot to remove the insulator covering from the connecting wires while making a circuit. If the lamp and the cell are working properly, will the lamp glow?
No, the lamp will not glow.
The insulator covering (such as plastic or rubber) on the wires prevents electric current from flowing through the circuit.
For current to flow, the metal wires must make direct contact with the terminals of the cell and the lamp. The insulator blocks this contact and keeps the circuit incomplete.
Explanation
The chapter discusses on page 14 that 'plastic, rubber, and ceramics are electrical insulators' and that 'Insulators like rubber, plastics, and ceramics are used to cover wires, plug tops, and switches to protect people from electric shocks.' Activity 3.6 (page 6) specifically instructs to 'Remove about 1 cm of the plastic covering from both ends of each wire to expose the metal' before making connections. Without removing this insulator, the metal wire cannot make electrical contact with the cell or lamp terminals, and current cannot flow through the circuit.
Solution Steps
The lamp will not glow because the insulator covering was not removed from the connecting wires.
Insulators such as plastic and rubber prevent electric current from flowing through the circuit.
Metal wires must make direct contact with the cell and lamp terminals for current to flow.
The insulator blocks electrical contact, keeping the circuit incomplete.