Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 54 · 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 safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
2. 2.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using flexible joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
3. 3.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is colourful (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is lighter
4. 4.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
5. 5.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on the very top (c) low down (d) on a thin pole
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
7. 7.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) using flexible joints (d) using a light roof
8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
9. 9.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
10. 10.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
11. 11.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
12. 12.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 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 120 cm tall on a 20 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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
14. 14.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using flexible joints (d) having a wide base
15. 15.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
16. 16.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
17. 17.🏚️ 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 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
18. 18.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
19. 19.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) having a wide base
20. 20.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they bend, not break (b) they are cheap (c) they look nice (d) they stop shaking
21. 21.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
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.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
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.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
26. 26.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.True or false: keeping a simple shape 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 150 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.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) fitting rubber base pads
32. 32.🏚️ 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 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
34. 34.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding cross bracing
35. 35.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding cross bracing
37. 37.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a shake table (c) a telescope (d) a fridge
38. 38.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
39. 39.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids