Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 379 · 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.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
2. 2.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
3. 3.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
5. 5.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
6. 6.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
8. 8.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
10. 10.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
11. 11.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
12. 12.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is harder to tip over
13. 13.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
14. 14.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
15. 15.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they stop shaking
16. 16.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
17. 17.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) leaving out steel bars (d) making brittle joints
19. 19.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
20. 20.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on a thin pole (c) on the very top (d) hanging outside
21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) stacking loose bricks (d) having a wide base
22. 22.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
23. 23.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
24. 24.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
25. 25.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) fitting rubber base pads
28. 28.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
29. 29.True or false: using a heavy roof 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
31. 31.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 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 B (c) tower A
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) making brittle joints
33. 33.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
34. 34.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
35. 35.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
37. 37.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
38. 38.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
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: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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