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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 693 · 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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a light roof (d) stacking loose bricks
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) making brittle joints (d) keeping a simple shape
  3. 3.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) having a wide base (d) raising heavy tanks high
  5. 5.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  7. 7.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  8. 8.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) using a heavy roof (c) having a wide base (d) keeping a simple shape
  9. 9.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  10. 10.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is taller (c) it is lighter (d) it is harder to tip over
  11. 11.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a fridge
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) having a wide base
  14. 14.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
  15. 15.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
  16. 16.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) leaving out steel bars
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
  18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
  19. 19.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
  21. 21.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) raising heavy tanks high
  22. 22.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
  25. 25.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  27. 27.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.🏚️ 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 200 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  29. 29.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 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 C (c) tower B
  30. 30.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a heavy roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding steel to concrete
  31. 31.🏚️ Does making brittle joints 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) adding cross bracing (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  33. 33.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a light roof (d) building tall and narrow
  36. 36.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  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.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  39. 39.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  40. 40.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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