Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 16 · 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.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
2. 2.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
3. 3.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding cross bracing (d) having a wide base
5. 5.🏚️ 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 120 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
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using flexible joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
7. 7.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) leaving out steel bars
9. 9.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they look nice (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
11. 11.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) raising heavy tanks high
14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
15. 15.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) having a wide base (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) making brittle joints (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
17. 17.True or false: stacking loose bricks 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 240 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
19. 19.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
21. 21.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
22. 22.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
23. 23.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
24. 24.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
28. 28.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 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 C (c) tower A
29. 29.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🏚️ 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
31. 31.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
32. 32.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using flexible joints
34. 34.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) keeping a simple shape
35. 35.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 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
36. 36.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
37. 37.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
38. 38.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) adding cross bracing (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
39. 39.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
40. 40.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

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