Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 603 · 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 bend, not break (b) they look nice (c) they stop shaking (d) they are cheap
2. 2.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using a heavy roof (c) stacking loose bricks (d) making brittle joints
4. 4.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
5. 5.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) keeping a simple shape (d) using a light roof
7. 7.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
8. 8.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
10. 10.🏚️ 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 30 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
11. 11.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
12. 12.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) on a thin pole (c) hanging outside (d) low down
13. 13.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
14. 14.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
15. 15.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
17. 17.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) having a wide base
19. 19.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
21. 21.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
23. 23.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.🏚️ 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
26. 26.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) having a wide base (d) stacking loose bricks
27. 27.True or false: building tall and narrow 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 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 140 cm tall on a 20 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
30. 30.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
31. 31.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
32. 32.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
33. 33.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a shake table (d) a telescope
35. 35.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 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 A (c) tower B
36. 36.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
37. 37.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
38. 38.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) leaving out steel bars (c) making brittle joints (d) building tall and narrow
40. 40.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using flexible joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof

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