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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 197 · 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.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  2. 2.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  4. 4.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a telescope (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
  5. 5.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  6. 6.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🏚️ 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
  8. 8.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🏚️ 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 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
  10. 10.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) low down (d) hanging outside
  11. 11.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
  12. 12.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  14. 14.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) having a wide base (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using a light roof
  16. 16.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
  18. 18.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 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 B (c) tower A
  19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) keeping a simple shape
  20. 20.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 20 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
  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: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using flexible joints
  26. 26.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
  30. 30.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is taller (c) it is lighter (d) it is colourful
  31. 31.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  32. 32.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
  34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) using a light roof
  36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a heavy roof (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
  37. 37.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
  39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
  40. 40.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes

Answer key

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

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