Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 33 · 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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding steel to concrete
2. 2.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a heavy roof
4. 4.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) on the very top (c) low down (d) hanging outside
5. 5.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a telescope
7. 7.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they look nice (c) they stop shaking (d) they are cheap
8. 8.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
12. 12.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
14. 14.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) adding cross bracing
16. 16.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
17. 17.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🏚️ 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 10 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
19. 19.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
20. 20.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
21. 21.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
22. 22.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints
23. 23.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) stacking loose bricks
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) leaving out steel bars
25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) having a wide base (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) building tall and narrow
29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 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 C (c) tower A
30. 30.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
31. 31.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is taller (c) it is colourful (d) it is lighter
32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) raising heavy tanks high
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 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
35. 35.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
36. 36.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
38. 38.🏚️ 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 100 cm tall on a 20 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
39. 39.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
40. 40.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) having a wide base

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