Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 199 · 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.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) having a wide base (d) fitting rubber base pads
3. 3.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
4. 4.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
6. 6.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
7. 7.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they stop shaking (c) they are cheap (d) they bend, not break
8. 8.🏚️ 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
9. 9.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a telescope
10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) raising heavy tanks high
11. 11.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
13. 13.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
14. 14.🏚️ 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 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) making brittle joints
16. 16.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
17. 17.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) having a wide base
19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
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.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
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 is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) building tall and narrow
25. 25.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
26. 26.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🏚️ 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 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using a light roof (d) keeping a simple shape
29. 29.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
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.🏚️ 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 70 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
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
34. 34.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) making brittle joints (d) using a light roof
36. 36.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
38. 38.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
39. 39.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
40. 40.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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