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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 386 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

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  1. 1.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) keeping a simple shape (c) making brittle joints (d) using a light roof
  2. 2.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) raising heavy tanks high
  4. 4.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they bend, not break (c) they stop shaking (d) they look nice
  5. 5.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  7. 7.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding cross bracing (d) adding steel to concrete
  9. 9.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  11. 11.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) making brittle joints
  13. 13.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  15. 15.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using flexible joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
  18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding cross bracing
  19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
  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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) adding cross bracing (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
  22. 22.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  23. 23.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 80 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  24. 24.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
  25. 25.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) making brittle joints (d) building tall and narrow
  27. 27.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) leaving out steel bars (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
  28. 28.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  30. 30.🏚️ 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
  31. 31.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a shake table (c) a telescope (d) a microscope
  33. 33.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  34. 34.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is taller (d) it is lighter
  37. 37.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a light roof
  40. 40.🏚️ 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 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B

Answer key

  1. making brittle joints
  2. safer in earthquakes
  3. adding steel to concrete
  4. they bend, not break
  5. True
  6. safer in earthquakes
  7. False
  8. raising heavy tanks high
  9. False
  10. less safe
  11. using a light roof
  12. using flexible joints
  13. tower A
  14. tower B
  15. True
  16. True
  17. stacking loose bricks
  18. stacking loose bricks
  19. fitting rubber base pads
  20. less safe
  21. building tall and narrow
  22. less safe
  23. tower A
  24. using a heavy roof
  25. tower B
  26. keeping a simple shape
  27. keeping a simple shape
  28. tower A
  29. having a wide base
  30. low down
  31. False
  32. a shake table
  33. tower C
  34. True
  35. True
  36. it is harder to tip over
  37. True
  38. less safe
  39. making brittle joints
  40. tower C

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