Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 108 · 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.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they are cheap (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
2. 2.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
5. 5.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
8. 8.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is lighter (c) it is colourful (d) it is harder to tip over
9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) adding cross bracing (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
10. 10.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
11. 11.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
12. 12.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
14. 14.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 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 40 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) making brittle joints (d) using a light roof
17. 17.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
19. 19.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
21. 21.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a light roof
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using a heavy roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
25. 25.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a telescope
26. 26.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) leaving out steel bars
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
30. 30.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 20 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 B (c) tower C
32. 32.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
33. 33.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on the very top (c) hanging outside (d) on a thin pole
35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) having a wide base (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
36. 36.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
40. 40.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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