Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 423 · 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.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
2. 2.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 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.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a fridge (c) a telescope (d) a microscope
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) adding cross bracing (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
5. 5.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
6. 6.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
8. 8.True or false: using a heavy roof 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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
11. 11.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
12. 12.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
14. 14.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
15. 15.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 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 B (c) tower C
16. 16.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) having a wide base
17. 17.🏚️ 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 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
18. 18.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is colourful (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is taller
19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
21. 21.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
22. 22.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
23. 23.🏚️ 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 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
24. 24.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) hanging outside (d) low down
26. 26.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 180 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.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) having a wide base
29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
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 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
31. 31.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
32. 32.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using a light roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) stacking loose bricks
33. 33.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
34. 34.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.🏚️ 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
36. 36.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
37. 37.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
38. 38.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
39. 39.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

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