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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 176 · 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.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is taller (c) it is colourful (d) it is harder to tip over
  2. 2.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  3. 3.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  4. 4.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they are cheap (c) they bend, not break (d) they look nice
  6. 6.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) raising heavy tanks high
  8. 8.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  9. 9.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) using a heavy roof
  10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) leaving out steel bars (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
  11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
  13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
  14. 14.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  15. 15.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
  18. 18.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  19. 19.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  20. 20.🏚️ 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
  21. 21.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  22. 22.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  23. 23.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
  24. 24.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding cross bracing
  26. 26.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  27. 27.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) adding steel to concrete
  29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
  30. 30.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
  32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a light roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  33. 33.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
  36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) having a wide base (d) making brittle joints
  37. 37.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  38. 38.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  40. 40.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A

Answer key

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

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