Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 491 · 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.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is colourful (c) it is lighter (d) it is taller
2. 2.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
4. 4.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
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: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) hanging outside (c) low down (d) on the very top
8. 8.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) raising heavy tanks high
9. 9.🏚️ 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 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
10. 10.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
11. 11.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) using flexible joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
13. 13.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 20 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
14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) making brittle joints (d) adding steel to concrete
15. 15.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) making brittle joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) fitting rubber base pads
16. 16.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
17. 17.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
18. 18.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
19. 19.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a light roof
21. 21.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
22. 22.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
24. 24.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.🏚️ 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 200 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
26. 26.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
27. 27.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
28. 28.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
30. 30.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using flexible joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) keeping a simple shape
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 70 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
35. 35.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they stop shaking (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a light roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
38. 38.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
39. 39.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes

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