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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 466 · 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.

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  1. 1.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding steel to concrete
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
  3. 3.🏚️ 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 200 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  4. 4.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  5. 5.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a heavy roof
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) keeping a simple shape
  8. 8.🏚️ 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 70 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
  9. 9.🏚️ 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
  10. 10.🏚️ 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  11. 11.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  12. 12.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a fridge (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
  13. 13.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on a thin pole (c) on the very top (d) low down
  14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) leaving out steel bars
  15. 15.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🏚️ 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
  18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
  19. 19.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) making brittle joints (c) adding steel to concrete (d) raising heavy tanks high
  22. 22.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) keeping a simple shape (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
  23. 23.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding cross bracing (d) stacking loose bricks
  25. 25.🏚️ 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
  26. 26.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  27. 27.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  29. 29.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 100 cm tall on a 20 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
  31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using flexible joints
  32. 32.🏚️ 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 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) keeping a simple shape (c) adding cross bracing (d) making brittle joints
  34. 34.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  35. 35.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  39. 39.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  40. 40.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. raising heavy tanks high
  2. making brittle joints
  3. tower B
  4. tower C
  5. True
  6. using a heavy roof
  7. keeping a simple shape
  8. tower A
  9. it is harder to tip over
  10. tower A
  11. less safe
  12. a shake table
  13. low down
  14. fitting rubber base pads
  15. False
  16. True
  17. they bend, not break
  18. building tall and narrow
  19. True
  20. False
  21. adding steel to concrete
  22. building tall and narrow
  23. safer in earthquakes
  24. stacking loose bricks
  25. tower A
  26. tower A
  27. False
  28. safer in earthquakes
  29. True
  30. tower B
  31. leaving out steel bars
  32. tower C
  33. making brittle joints
  34. tower A
  35. True
  36. True
  37. safer in earthquakes
  38. tower C
  39. less safe
  40. True

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