Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 456 · 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 60 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 B (c) tower A
2. 2.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) fitting rubber base pads
3. 3.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is lighter (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is taller
5. 5.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
7. 7.🏚️ 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 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
8. 8.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
10. 10.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.🏚️ 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 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
13. 13.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
15. 15.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a microscope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
16. 16.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
17. 17.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding cross bracing
19. 19.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.🏚️ 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 40 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
22. 22.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) hanging outside (c) on a thin pole (d) on the very top
23. 23.🏚️ 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A
24. 24.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
26. 26.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
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 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
28. 28.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding cross bracing
30. 30.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they bend, not break (d) they stop shaking
31. 31.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
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 stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
35. 35.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
37. 37.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a heavy roof
40. 40.🏚️ 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 120 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 C (b) tower B (c) tower A

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