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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 12 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

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  1. 1.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a telescope (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
  2. 2.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding cross bracing
  3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) making brittle joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) raising heavy tanks high
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  5. 5.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  6. 6.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a light roof (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) using a light roof
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
  9. 9.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they look nice (c) they are cheap (d) they bend, not break
  10. 10.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
  12. 12.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is lighter (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is colourful
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
  14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
  15. 15.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding cross bracing (d) adding steel to concrete
  17. 17.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using flexible joints (d) adding cross bracing
  20. 20.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  21. 21.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 240 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  23. 23.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  24. 24.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  25. 25.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
  27. 27.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on a thin pole (c) hanging outside (d) on the very top
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  31. 31.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
  33. 33.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) making brittle joints
  35. 35.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 40 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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  36. 36.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  39. 39.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  40. 40.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

Answer key

  1. a shake table
  2. leaving out steel bars
  3. using flexible joints
  4. leaving out steel bars
  5. safer in earthquakes
  6. using a light roof
  7. using a heavy roof
  8. adding steel to concrete
  9. they bend, not break
  10. safer in earthquakes
  11. making brittle joints
  12. it is harder to tip over
  13. making brittle joints
  14. building tall and narrow
  15. False
  16. building tall and narrow
  17. False
  18. tower B
  19. raising heavy tanks high
  20. less safe
  21. True
  22. tower A
  23. less safe
  24. safer in earthquakes
  25. less safe
  26. fitting rubber base pads
  27. safer in earthquakes
  28. True
  29. low down
  30. tower C
  31. less safe
  32. stacking loose bricks
  33. less safe
  34. fitting rubber base pads
  35. tower B
  36. False
  37. tower B
  38. adding cross bracing
  39. tower B
  40. safer in earthquakes

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