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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 421 · 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.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 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 C (c) tower B
  2. 2.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  3. 3.🏚️ 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 320 cm tall on a 40 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 B (c) tower A
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) stacking loose bricks (d) having a wide base
  5. 5.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a light roof
  9. 9.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
  12. 12.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  13. 13.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using flexible joints (c) using a light roof (d) keeping a simple shape
  14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  15. 15.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a microscope (c) a telescope (d) a fridge
  16. 16.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a heavy roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
  18. 18.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) stacking loose bricks (d) raising heavy tanks high
  20. 20.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a light roof (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
  21. 21.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  22. 22.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
  23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
  24. 24.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
  26. 26.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  27. 27.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
  29. 29.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 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 C (c) tower A
  31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  32. 32.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is lighter (c) it is colourful (d) it is taller
  33. 33.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) having a wide base
  34. 34.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding steel to concrete
  36. 36.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) low down (c) hanging outside (d) on a thin pole
  38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
  39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
  40. 40.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

  1. tower A
  2. safer in earthquakes
  3. tower B
  4. stacking loose bricks
  5. False
  6. True
  7. tower A
  8. using a light roof
  9. True
  10. True
  11. making brittle joints
  12. less safe
  13. leaving out steel bars
  14. using flexible joints
  15. a shake table
  16. tower A
  17. using flexible joints
  18. safer in earthquakes
  19. using a light roof
  20. using a heavy roof
  21. less safe
  22. adding steel to concrete
  23. using a heavy roof
  24. less safe
  25. fitting rubber base pads
  26. tower B
  27. tower C
  28. raising heavy tanks high
  29. safer in earthquakes
  30. tower B
  31. adding cross bracing
  32. it is harder to tip over
  33. having a wide base
  34. less safe
  35. adding steel to concrete
  36. False
  37. low down
  38. stacking loose bricks
  39. keeping a simple shape
  40. True

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