Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 109 · 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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) leaving out steel bars (d) keeping a simple shape
2. 2.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
4. 4.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) keeping a simple shape
5. 5.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
7. 7.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
9. 9.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
10. 10.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) leaving out steel bars
14. 14.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
15. 15.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
17. 17.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
18. 18.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they stop shaking (c) they are cheap (d) they bend, not break
19. 19.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 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.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
22. 22.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
23. 23.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
24. 24.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
27. 27.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) on the very top (c) low down (d) hanging outside
28. 28.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is harder to tip over
29. 29.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
31. 31.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
33. 33.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using flexible joints
35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) stacking loose bricks
36. 36.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
37. 37.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
38. 38.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding steel to concrete
39. 39.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a light roof

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