Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 453 · 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) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) having a wide base
2. 2.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
3. 3.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
5. 5.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a microscope (c) a shake table (d) a fridge
6. 6.True or false: adding steel to concrete 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 180 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) adding steel to concrete (c) stacking loose bricks (d) keeping a simple shape
9. 9.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
10. 10.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is colourful
11. 11.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) having a wide base (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
13. 13.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) keeping a simple shape (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
15. 15.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
17. 17.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
18. 18.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a light roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
20. 20.🏚️ 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 10 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 C (c) tower A
21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) having a wide base (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
22. 22.🏚️ 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 80 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
23. 23.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
24. 24.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 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
26. 26.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
27. 27.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a heavy roof
29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
30. 30.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
32. 32.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
33. 33.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
34. 34.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
35. 35.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) using a light roof
37. 37.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using flexible joints
40. 40.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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