Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 248 · 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.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they bend, not break (c) they are cheap (d) they look nice
2. 2.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
3. 3.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
4. 4.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
5. 5.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding steel to concrete
6. 6.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) stacking loose bricks
8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
9. 9.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
10. 10.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) building tall and narrow (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) stacking loose bricks (c) having a wide base (d) adding steel to concrete
13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using flexible joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
16. 16.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
17. 17.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
18. 18.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 200 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 A (c) tower C
19. 19.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) having a wide base (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) building tall and narrow
21. 21.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) making brittle joints (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using flexible joints
23. 23.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
24. 24.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) raising heavy tanks high
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a heavy roof
27. 27.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a microscope
28. 28.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
29. 29.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
31. 31.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) low down (d) hanging outside
34. 34.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
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 70 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
37. 37.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
38. 38.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
40. 40.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) building tall and narrow (d) keeping a simple shape

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