Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 399 · 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.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a telescope (d) a shake table
2. 2.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
3. 3.🏚️ 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
4. 4.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
5. 5.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) hanging outside (c) on a thin pole (d) on the very top
6. 6.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
8. 8.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
10. 10.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
11. 11.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
13. 13.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
14. 14.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
15. 15.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) building tall and narrow
17. 17.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) keeping a simple shape (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
19. 19.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding steel to concrete
21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) leaving out steel bars
22. 22.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is colourful (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is lighter
23. 23.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
24. 24.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🏚️ 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 90 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) stacking loose bricks (d) keeping a simple shape
29. 29.🏚️ 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 120 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 B (c) tower A
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a heavy roof
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) stacking loose bricks
32. 32.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding cross bracing (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) building tall and narrow
34. 34.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) building tall and narrow
38. 38.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
39. 39.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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