Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 122 · 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 is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
2. 2.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
5. 5.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
6. 6.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
7. 7.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
8. 8.🏚️ 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
9. 9.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
10. 10.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) fitting rubber base pads
12. 12.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
13. 13.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
15. 15.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 180 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 of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
17. 17.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
19. 19.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
20. 20.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) keeping a simple shape
21. 21.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
22. 22.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
23. 23.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a telescope (c) a shake table (d) a microscope
24. 24.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they bend, not break (c) they stop shaking (d) they are cheap
25. 25.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on the very top (c) on a thin pole (d) hanging outside
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
27. 27.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
28. 28.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
29. 29.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
30. 30.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 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 C (c) tower B
31. 31.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
32. 32.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
33. 33.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
34. 34.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
35. 35.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 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
36. 36.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding cross bracing (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
39. 39.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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