Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 388 · 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 using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
2. 2.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.🏚️ 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 240 cm tall on a 40 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 C (c) tower B
4. 4.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
5. 5.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
7. 7.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
8. 8.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
9. 9.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they are cheap
10. 10.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
12. 12.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) adding cross bracing (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
16. 16.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
18. 18.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
19. 19.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a microscope (c) a shake table (d) a fridge
20. 20.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
22. 22.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a light roof (c) having a wide base (d) adding cross bracing
25. 25.🏚️ 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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
26. 26.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 70 cm tall on a 10 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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
27. 27.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) having a wide base
28. 28.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) hanging outside (c) on the very top (d) low down
29. 29.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
31. 31.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
32. 32.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
33. 33.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) making brittle joints
35. 35.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is taller (c) it is lighter (d) it is colourful
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
37. 37.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
38. 38.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) adding cross bracing (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
39. 39.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using flexible joints

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids