Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 30 · 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.🏚️ 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 30 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
2. 2.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 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
3. 3.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a light roof (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
4. 4.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) low down (c) hanging outside (d) on a thin pole
5. 5.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
6. 6.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is colourful (d) it is taller
7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using flexible joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) making brittle joints
9. 9.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
10. 10.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
11. 11.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
13. 13.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
14. 14.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe 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) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
16. 16.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
17. 17.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
19. 19.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
20. 20.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
21. 21.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they stop shaking (c) they bend, not break (d) they are cheap
22. 22.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
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 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) keeping a simple shape (d) raising heavy tanks high
25. 25.🏚️ Does having a wide base 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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
27. 27.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
28. 28.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints
30. 30.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
31. 31.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) stacking loose bricks
33. 33.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
35. 35.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a shake table (c) a fridge (d) a microscope
36. 36.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
37. 37.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
39. 39.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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