Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 221 · 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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
2. 2.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they look nice (c) they stop shaking (d) they are cheap
3. 3.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
5. 5.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
6. 6.🏚️ 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 240 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 B (c) tower C
7. 7.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
8. 8.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
9. 9.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
11. 11.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding cross bracing (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) having a wide base
14. 14.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a telescope (c) a microscope (d) a fridge
15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
16. 16.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
17. 17.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
18. 18.🏚️ 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
19. 19.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow 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 200 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 20 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
22. 22.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
23. 23.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
25. 25.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding cross bracing
28. 28.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
30. 30.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 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.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding cross bracing (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using flexible joints
33. 33.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
34. 34.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
35. 35.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 240 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) stacking loose bricks (d) leaving out steel bars
38. 38.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on the very top (c) on a thin pole (d) low down
40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) stacking loose bricks

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