Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 380 · 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 stop shaking (c) they bend, not break (d) they are cheap
2. 2.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks 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) adding steel to concrete (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using a light roof
4. 4.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding steel to concrete
6. 6.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) stacking loose bricks (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using flexible joints
8. 8.🏚️ 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 160 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.🏚️ 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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
10. 10.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow 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 safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using flexible joints
12. 12.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
13. 13.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
14. 14.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is colourful (c) it is lighter (d) it is harder to tip over
15. 15.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) adding steel to concrete
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
17. 17.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
18. 18.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
20. 20.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
21. 21.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a shake table (c) a telescope (d) a fridge
22. 22.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 30 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 B (c) tower C
23. 23.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
24. 24.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
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 60 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
27. 27.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a light roof (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
28. 28.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
29. 29.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
30. 30.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding steel to concrete (d) building tall and narrow
32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
33. 33.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) on the very top (c) hanging outside (d) low down
34. 34.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
35. 35.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
36. 36.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
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 20 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 A (c) tower C
38. 38.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
39. 39.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints

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