Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 748 · 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.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
2. 2.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using flexible joints (d) adding cross bracing
5. 5.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a light roof (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) fitting rubber base pads
6. 6.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
7. 7.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
8. 8.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 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
9. 9.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
10. 10.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they stop shaking (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
11. 11.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a fridge
12. 12.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
13. 13.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) having a wide base
14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) adding steel to concrete (c) having a wide base (d) using flexible joints
15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using flexible joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
16. 16.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
17. 17.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is lighter (d) it is colourful
18. 18.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
19. 19.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on a thin pole (c) low down (d) on the very top
20. 20.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
21. 21.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
22. 22.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) building tall and narrow
23. 23.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) adding steel to concrete
24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) stacking loose bricks (c) making brittle joints (d) using a heavy roof
25. 25.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) stacking loose bricks (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
26. 26.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
29. 29.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
30. 30.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.🏚️ 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 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
32. 32.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding cross bracing (d) using flexible joints
34. 34.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) having a wide base (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
35. 35.🏚️ 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 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
36. 36.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
39. 39.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 30 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
40. 40.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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