Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 27 · 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 telescope (b) a fridge (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
2. 2.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is colourful
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) having a wide base
5. 5.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
7. 7.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
8. 8.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
9. 9.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
11. 11.🏚️ 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 20 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
12. 12.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 40 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
14. 14.🏚️ 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
15. 15.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
16. 16.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 30 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding steel to concrete
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints
19. 19.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
20. 20.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
21. 21.🏚️ 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 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
22. 22.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
24. 24.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 80 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) using a light roof
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) leaving out steel bars
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
29. 29.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a heavy roof (d) having a wide base
30. 30.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
31. 31.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
32. 32.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
35. 35.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding cross bracing (d) leaving out steel bars
37. 37.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
38. 38.True or false: keeping a simple shape 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 100 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 C (c) tower A
40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow

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