Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 365 · 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.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
2. 2.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) having a wide base (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
3. 3.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a shake table (c) a telescope (d) a fridge
4. 4.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
5. 5.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
6. 6.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a heavy roof
7. 7.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
8. 8.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
9. 9.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
11. 11.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
12. 12.🏚️ 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 150 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
13. 13.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
14. 14.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
15. 15.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
16. 16.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
17. 17.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
18. 18.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is taller (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is lighter
19. 19.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
21. 21.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
22. 22.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) keeping a simple shape
24. 24.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
25. 25.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
27. 27.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) having a wide base
29. 29.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
32. 32.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a light roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) having a wide base
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) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a light roof (d) leaving out steel bars
36. 36.🏚️ 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 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
37. 37.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
39. 39.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

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