Kofi’s class was preparing for morning assembly when their small demonstration light stopped working.
The bulb was not broken. The batteries were new. Still, nothing happened when the switch was pressed.
His classmates began putting away the wires.
“Wait,” Kofi said. “Let me trace the circuit once more.”
He started at the battery holder and followed the red wire with one finger. It reached the switch. The black wire ran from the switch toward the bulb.
Near the center of the board, one connection was loose.
Kofi pressed the wire firmly beneath the terminal and tightened it. Then he checked that the other connections were secure.
The room grew quiet.
“Try it now,” one classmate said.
Kofi placed his finger on the switch.
Click.
The bulb glowed.
Everyone smiled, but Kofi looked at the circuit once more. He wanted to understand why it worked—not only celebrate that it worked.
“The path has to be complete,” he explained. “Electricity needs an unbroken circuit.”
The class carried the demonstration board to assembly. This time, when the switch was pressed, the light came on immediately.