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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 220 · 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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) making brittle joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding steel to concrete
  2. 2.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they look nice (c) they are cheap (d) they bend, not break
  3. 3.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  5. 5.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using flexible joints
  7. 7.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) stacking loose bricks (c) having a wide base (d) fitting rubber base pads
  9. 9.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) raising heavy tanks high
  11. 11.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on a thin pole (c) on the very top (d) low down
  12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) having a wide base (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using flexible joints
  14. 14.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  15. 15.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a light roof (d) adding steel to concrete
  16. 16.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🏚️ 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 20 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  18. 18.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
  19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) leaving out steel bars
  20. 20.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  21. 21.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a telescope (d) a shake table
  23. 23.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
  25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) making brittle joints
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  27. 27.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 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 A (c) tower B
  28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
  29. 29.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  31. 31.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 280 cm tall on a 40 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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  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 of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
  34. 34.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  35. 35.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  36. 36.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) building tall and narrow
  38. 38.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding steel to concrete (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
  40. 40.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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