Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 47 · 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.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a telescope (c) a shake table (d) a microscope
2. 2.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
5. 5.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) making brittle joints
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) having a wide base
9. 9.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 70 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
10. 10.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) using flexible joints (d) building tall and narrow
11. 11.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 10 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
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.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) low down (d) hanging outside
14. 14.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
15. 15.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) leaving out steel bars (d) raising heavy tanks high
16. 16.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 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
17. 17.🏚️ Does having a wide base 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) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
19. 19.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 20 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 B (b) tower C (c) tower A
20. 20.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
22. 22.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they are cheap
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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
24. 24.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
26. 26.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
28. 28.🏚️ 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 240 cm tall on a 30 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
29. 29.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
30. 30.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) making brittle joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
32. 32.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🏚️ 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 60 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
34. 34.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) stacking loose bricks
35. 35.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🏚️ 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 30 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
37. 37.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is colourful (d) it is taller
38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding steel to concrete
39. 39.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
40. 40.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints

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