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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 409 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is taller (c) it is colourful (d) it is harder to tip over
  3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) raising heavy tanks high
  5. 5.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  6. 6.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using flexible joints (c) using a light roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) stacking loose bricks
  9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) raising heavy tanks high
  10. 10.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing 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 less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
  13. 13.🏚️ 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 40 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  14. 14.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a microscope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
  15. 15.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  16. 16.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on a thin pole (c) hanging outside (d) on the very top
  17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using flexible joints
  18. 18.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete 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) keeping a simple shape (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
  20. 20.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
  22. 22.🏚️ Does making brittle joints 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding cross bracing (d) adding steel to concrete
  25. 25.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  27. 27.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they bend, not break (c) they stop shaking (d) they are cheap
  28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) stacking loose bricks
  29. 29.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  31. 31.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
  33. 33.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  35. 35.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) fitting rubber base pads
  39. 39.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 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
  40. 40.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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