Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 240 · 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.🏚️ 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
2. 2.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
3. 3.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
4. 4.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
6. 6.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
9. 9.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 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 C (c) tower B
10. 10.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 120 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
11. 11.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is colourful (c) it is lighter (d) it is taller
12. 12.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) having a wide base
14. 14.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
15. 15.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding cross bracing
16. 16.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
17. 17.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
18. 18.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) making brittle joints
19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
21. 21.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
24. 24.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
26. 26.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
29. 29.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) building tall and narrow
32. 32.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) adding cross bracing (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
33. 33.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
34. 34.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
36. 36.🏚️ 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 30 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
37. 37.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
38. 38.🏚️ 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 200 cm tall on a 40 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 B (c) tower C
39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) keeping a simple shape
40. 40.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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