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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 614 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

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  1. 1.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  3. 3.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding cross bracing
  5. 5.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  6. 6.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) having a wide base (c) using a light roof (d) building tall and narrow
  7. 7.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) using a light roof (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) leaving out steel bars
  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.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) leaving out steel bars (c) making brittle joints (d) raising heavy tanks high
  11. 11.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) using flexible joints (c) leaving out steel bars (d) building tall and narrow
  12. 12.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
  14. 14.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  15. 15.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 240 cm tall on a 40 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 B (c) tower C
  17. 17.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a fridge (c) a microscope (d) a shake table
  18. 18.🏚️ 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 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  19. 19.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) low down (c) hanging outside (d) on a thin pole
  20. 20.🏚️ 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 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a light roof
  22. 22.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) keeping a simple shape (d) having a wide base
  23. 23.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) building tall and narrow
  25. 25.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  26. 26.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is taller (c) it is colourful (d) it is harder to tip over
  27. 27.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  29. 29.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 70 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 20 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
  30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
  31. 31.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they bend, not break (c) they stop shaking (d) they look nice
  32. 32.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 150 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 B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  33. 33.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) building tall and narrow (d) stacking loose bricks
  35. 35.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding steel to concrete (d) adding cross bracing
  37. 37.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  38. 38.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
  39. 39.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof

Answer key

  1. True
  2. safer in earthquakes
  3. safer in earthquakes
  4. adding cross bracing
  5. tower C
  6. building tall and narrow
  7. True
  8. using a light roof
  9. less safe
  10. having a wide base
  11. using flexible joints
  12. safer in earthquakes
  13. stacking loose bricks
  14. tower A
  15. True
  16. tower A
  17. a shake table
  18. tower A
  19. low down
  20. tower C
  21. leaving out steel bars
  22. using a heavy roof
  23. True
  24. adding steel to concrete
  25. tower B
  26. it is harder to tip over
  27. less safe
  28. safer in earthquakes
  29. tower A
  30. using a heavy roof
  31. they bend, not break
  32. tower A
  33. True
  34. fitting rubber base pads
  35. False
  36. leaving out steel bars
  37. tower B
  38. making brittle joints
  39. False
  40. having a wide base

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