Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 447 · 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.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding cross bracing (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
2. 2.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using flexible joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
4. 4.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
5. 5.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a shake table (c) a telescope (d) a fridge
6. 6.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
7. 7.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
8. 8.🏚️ 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 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a light roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using flexible joints
10. 10.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
12. 12.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
15. 15.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
16. 16.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
17. 17.🏚️ 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
18. 18.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
19. 19.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they are cheap (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
20. 20.🏚️ 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 140 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
21. 21.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) low down (c) on a thin pole (d) hanging outside
22. 22.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
23. 23.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
24. 24.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
25. 25.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
27. 27.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
29. 29.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
31. 31.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
32. 32.🏚️ 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 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) using a light roof (d) building tall and narrow
34. 34.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
35. 35.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
36. 36.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
37. 37.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) using a light roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
40. 40.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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