Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 481 · 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 of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding steel to concrete
2. 2.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a fridge
3. 3.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
5. 5.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
6. 6.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
7. 7.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
8. 8.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) adding steel to concrete
9. 9.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
10. 10.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
11. 11.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
12. 12.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
13. 13.🏚️ 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 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
14. 14.🏚️ 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
15. 15.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 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
16. 16.🏚️ 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
17. 17.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape 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 120 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
19. 19.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
21. 21.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
22. 22.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
23. 23.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
26. 26.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
27. 27.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
28. 28.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is lighter (d) it is colourful
29. 29.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 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 B (c) tower A
30. 30.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 40 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 A (c) tower B
33. 33.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 10 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 60 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
34. 34.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using flexible joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) raising heavy tanks high
36. 36.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof

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