← Earthquake-safe buildings lesson New set →

Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 411 · 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: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) low down (c) hanging outside (d) on the very top
  3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding cross bracing (d) fitting rubber base pads
  5. 5.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
  6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding steel to concrete (c) having a wide base (d) using a light roof
  7. 7.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  10. 10.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) having a wide base
  12. 12.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 320 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  13. 13.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they look nice (c) they are cheap (d) they stop shaking
  14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
  15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
  17. 17.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a light roof
  19. 19.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
  22. 22.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 120 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  23. 23.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
  24. 24.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  25. 25.🏚️ 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 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  27. 27.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  28. 28.🏚️ 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 10 cm base and tower C is 20 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.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  30. 30.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  31. 31.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) leaving out steel bars
  33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
  34. 34.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 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
  35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding steel to concrete (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
  36. 36.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a microscope (c) a fridge (d) a telescope
  37. 37.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
  39. 39.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is taller (c) it is lighter (d) it is harder to tip over
  40. 40.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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