Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 3 · 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.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
2. 2.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a fridge (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
5. 5.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they stop shaking (c) they look nice (d) they are cheap
6. 6.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
7. 7.🏚️ 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 210 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
8. 8.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
9. 9.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🏚️ 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 80 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
11. 11.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is colourful (c) it is taller (d) it is harder to tip over
12. 12.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) making brittle joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) having a wide base
15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
16. 16.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a light roof (d) making brittle joints
17. 17.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) building tall and narrow (d) stacking loose bricks
19. 19.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
20. 20.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
21. 21.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
23. 23.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) having a wide base (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
25. 25.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) adding cross bracing
27. 27.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
28. 28.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
29. 29.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) having a wide base
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
35. 35.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
36. 36.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) leaving out steel bars (d) keeping a simple shape
38. 38.🏚️ 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
39. 39.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

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