Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 50 · 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 are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they look nice (c) they bend, not break (d) they are cheap
2. 2.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) making brittle joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a light roof
3. 3.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a shake table (d) a telescope
4. 4.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
6. 6.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.🏚️ 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 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
9. 9.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a heavy roof
10. 10.True or false: adding cross bracing 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 40 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
12. 12.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.🏚️ 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 30 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
14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) building tall and narrow (c) keeping a simple shape (d) having a wide base
15. 15.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) building tall and narrow
16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using flexible joints (d) adding steel to concrete
17. 17.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) low down (c) hanging outside (d) on the very top
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
19. 19.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is colourful (c) it is taller (d) it is lighter
20. 20.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) keeping a simple shape
21. 21.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
22. 22.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding steel to concrete
24. 24.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.🏚️ 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 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
26. 26.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
27. 27.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a light roof
29. 29.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
30. 30.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
31. 31.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) adding steel to concrete (d) keeping a simple shape
34. 34.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
37. 37.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 20 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 A (c) tower C
38. 38.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
39. 39.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
40. 40.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes

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