Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 106 · 40 questions

Engineer's tip (Low, wide, flexible): Safer: wide base, flexible joints, bracing, steel in concrete, light roof, rubber pads, simple shape. Less safe: heavy tops, narrow bases, loose bricks, no steel, brittle joints. Tipping: compare height ÷ base width — the smaller it is, the steadier the block.

1. 1.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a shake table (c) a fridge (d) a microscope
2. 2.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding cross bracing (d) keeping a simple shape
3. 3.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they look nice (c) they are cheap (d) they stop shaking
5. 5.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using a light roof
8. 8.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) having a wide base (d) making brittle joints
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using flexible joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
13. 13.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
14. 14.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
16. 16.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
17. 17.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
19. 19.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
20. 20.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
21. 21.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
22. 22.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
23. 23.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) low down (d) hanging outside
24. 24.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
25. 25.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
26. 26.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
27. 27.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
28. 28.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is lighter (d) it is taller
29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a light roof (d) making brittle joints
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
32. 32.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) using a light roof
34. 34.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
35. 35.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) adding cross bracing (c) having a wide base (d) adding steel to concrete
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding steel to concrete
39. 39.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
40. 40.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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