the bulb doesn't have electricity

[ridgemao]

Hello, everyone:

In an elementary school's science lab, one student asked the teacher: I have turned on the switch but the bulb is still not on, what's wrong? The teacher answered: "The bulb is not on because it doesn't have electricity, you forgot to connect the battery." (I made up these words)

Is it good to use "the bulb doesn't have electricity" here?
(I googled this sentence but only got two results)

Thank you.

 

[owlman5]

That remark seems okay to me, ridgemao. I would probably say "The bulb won't come on because it isn't getting any power/electricity."

 

[Uncle Jack]

Is it good to use "the bulb doesn't have electricity" here?

It is fine. In ordinary English we would probably say "power", but in your context, "electricity" is probably a better term.

 

[Edinburgher]

"It doesn't have electricity" would certainly be understood, but it doesn't sound idiomatic at all for this context.
It's something I might say about a house that isn't connected to the public supply.

 

[DonnyB]

While it's technically correct, it's an extremely odd thing to say in my opinion.

I'd expect the teacher to say something like "Perhaps it's faulty" and/or "Are you sure you've connected the battery?"

 

[dojibear]

I'd expect the teacher to say something like "Perhaps it's faulty" and/or "Are you sure you've connected the battery?"

In a different situation, yes. But this teacher is not asking what the problem is. This teacher knows what the problem is.

In an elementary school's science lab, one student asked the teacher: I have turned on the switch but the bulb is still not on, what's wrong? The teacher answered: "The bulb is not on because it doesn't have electricity, you forgot to connect the battery." (I made up these words)

In this context (a school lab experiment, where a standalone light bulb and switch are connected to a battery by hand using wires) these words seem normal to me.

 

[london calling]

It doesn't have electricity sounds extremely odd to me as well. If I were the teacher I'd say that there's no power/because it isn't connected up to the battery, or something along those lines.

 

[e2efour]

Keeping the original words, I would say doesn't have any electricity going through it.