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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 419 · 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.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🏚️ 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 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  3. 3.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) having a wide base (c) using a light roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) fitting rubber base pads
  5. 5.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a shake table (d) a telescope
  6. 6.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) having a wide base
  8. 8.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  9. 9.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) raising heavy tanks high
  11. 11.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
  14. 14.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  15. 15.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using flexible joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
  16. 16.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
  18. 18.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  20. 20.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
  21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
  22. 22.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  23. 23.🏚️ 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
  24. 24.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a light roof (d) adding steel to concrete
  25. 25.🏚️ 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 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
  26. 26.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding cross bracing
  29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding cross bracing (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using flexible joints
  32. 32.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  33. 33.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe 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.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  36. 36.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is taller (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is colourful
  38. 38.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
  40. 40.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A

Answer key

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

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