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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 205 · 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 fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
  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 40 cm tall on a 10 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 B (c) tower C
  4. 4.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  5. 5.🏚️ 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
  6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
  7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) adding cross bracing (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) stacking loose bricks
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
  9. 9.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding cross bracing
  10. 10.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
  11. 11.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) adding cross bracing (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
  13. 13.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  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 90 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 A (c) tower C
  15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) stacking loose bricks
  16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding steel to concrete
  17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) building tall and narrow
  18. 18.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  20. 20.🏚️ 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
  21. 21.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a fridge (c) a shake table (d) a microscope
  23. 23.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  24. 24.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  25. 25.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  26. 26.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  27. 27.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
  30. 30.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof 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) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
  32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding steel to concrete
  33. 33.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
  35. 35.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  37. 37.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  38. 38.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  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. safer in earthquakes
  2. keeping a simple shape
  3. tower A
  4. tower C
  5. low down
  6. making brittle joints
  7. stacking loose bricks
  8. fitting rubber base pads
  9. adding cross bracing
  10. leaving out steel bars
  11. tower A
  12. stacking loose bricks
  13. False
  14. tower A
  15. having a wide base
  16. leaving out steel bars
  17. building tall and narrow
  18. tower C
  19. tower A
  20. they bend, not break
  21. False
  22. a shake table
  23. less safe
  24. tower B
  25. less safe
  26. safer in earthquakes
  27. False
  28. safer in earthquakes
  29. using a heavy roof
  30. less safe
  31. using a light roof
  32. adding steel to concrete
  33. less safe
  34. using flexible joints
  35. False
  36. tower A
  37. less safe
  38. False
  39. True
  40. safer in earthquakes

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