Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 336 · 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 microscope (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
2. 2.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
3. 3.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
4. 4.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
5. 5.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
6. 6.🏚️ 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
7. 7.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
8. 8.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) keeping a simple shape
9. 9.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
10. 10.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) adding cross bracing
12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) fitting rubber base pads
13. 13.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
14. 14.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
15. 15.🏚️ 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
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) making brittle joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) adding cross bracing
17. 17.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
19. 19.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
20. 20.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on a thin pole (c) hanging outside (d) on the very top
23. 23.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
24. 24.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
26. 26.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using flexible joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
27. 27.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) having a wide base
31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding cross bracing (d) leaving out steel bars
32. 32.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
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 160 cm tall on a 40 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 C (c) tower B
34. 34.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using a light roof (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
36. 36.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding steel to concrete
38. 38.🏚️ 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 100 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
40. 40.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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