Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 51 · 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 telescope (b) a microscope (c) a shake table (d) a fridge
2. 2.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
3. 3.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
5. 5.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
6. 6.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
7. 7.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is harder to tip over
8. 8.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 30 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
10. 10.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
12. 12.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using a heavy roof (c) using a light roof (d) adding steel to concrete
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints
15. 15.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) low down (c) on a thin pole (d) on the very top
16. 16.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they stop shaking
17. 17.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
18. 18.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
19. 19.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
20. 20.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
21. 21.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
22. 22.🏚️ Does having a wide base 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) stacking loose bricks (b) using flexible joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
24. 24.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 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
25. 25.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) leaving out steel bars
26. 26.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a light roof
27. 27.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
28. 28.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
29. 29.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) using a light roof (d) building tall and narrow
31. 31.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) making brittle joints (d) leaving out steel bars
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) building tall and narrow
34. 34.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) making brittle joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
36. 36.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using a light roof (c) leaving out steel bars (d) stacking loose bricks
38. 38.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints

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