Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 177 · 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.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is colourful (d) it is lighter
2. 2.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding steel to concrete (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) building tall and narrow
4. 4.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
5. 5.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 10 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 easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
8. 8.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
9. 9.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) stacking loose bricks
11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) having a wide base (d) leaving out steel bars
12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) using a light roof
13. 13.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 40 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
16. 16.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
17. 17.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) using a light roof
20. 20.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) on the very top (c) hanging outside (d) low down
21. 21.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
22. 22.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
24. 24.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
25. 25.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 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
26. 26.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a telescope (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
27. 27.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 10 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 C (c) tower B
28. 28.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🏚️ 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 10 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
30. 30.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
31. 31.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they stop shaking (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
32. 32.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) building tall and narrow
35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
37. 37.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
38. 38.🏚️ 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 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
39. 39.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

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