Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 22 · 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.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a telescope (c) a shake table (d) a fridge
2. 2.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
3. 3.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on a thin pole (c) on the very top (d) hanging outside
5. 5.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding cross bracing
7. 7.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
9. 9.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
10. 10.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) adding cross bracing
11. 11.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
12. 12.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is lighter (c) it is colourful (d) it is taller
13. 13.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
14. 14.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
15. 15.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
16. 16.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
17. 17.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
18. 18.🏚️ 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 30 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
20. 20.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
21. 21.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
22. 22.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
23. 23.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
24. 24.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they stop shaking (c) they bend, not break (d) they look nice
25. 25.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
26. 26.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
28. 28.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
29. 29.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) fitting rubber base pads
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
33. 33.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.True or false: making brittle joints 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) making brittle joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using a heavy roof
36. 36.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
37. 37.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) fitting rubber base pads
39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
40. 40.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids