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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 281 · 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 is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) making brittle joints
  2. 2.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  3. 3.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding steel to concrete (d) keeping a simple shape
  5. 5.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) having a wide base (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding cross bracing
  8. 8.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a fridge (c) a telescope (d) a microscope
  9. 9.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding cross bracing
  10. 10.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is taller (d) it is colourful
  11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding steel to concrete
  12. 12.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 70 cm tall on a 10 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  13. 13.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  14. 14.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  15. 15.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  16. 16.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a light roof (d) making brittle joints
  18. 18.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they are cheap (c) they stop shaking (d) they look nice
  19. 19.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 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
  20. 20.🏚️ 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 60 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
  21. 21.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 150 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  22. 22.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🏚️ 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 90 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
  24. 24.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) hanging outside (c) low down (d) on the very top
  25. 25.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  27. 27.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) adding steel to concrete (d) stacking loose bricks
  28. 28.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  30. 30.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 240 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  32. 32.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  33. 33.🏚️ 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 280 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
  34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a heavy roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding steel to concrete (d) stacking loose bricks
  36. 36.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  37. 37.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
  38. 38.🏚️ 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 80 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.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  40. 40.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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