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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 788 · 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) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
  2. 2.🏚️ 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 70 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  3. 3.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
  5. 5.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
  6. 6.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a light roof (d) using a heavy roof
  8. 8.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a shake table
  9. 9.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape 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) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) leaving out steel bars
  11. 11.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  12. 12.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using a light roof (d) keeping a simple shape
  14. 14.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they are cheap (c) they bend, not break (d) they stop shaking
  16. 16.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  17. 17.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  18. 18.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding cross bracing (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) keeping a simple shape (d) having a wide base
  19. 19.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  20. 20.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  21. 21.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) hanging outside (c) low down (d) on the very top
  22. 22.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
  23. 23.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  24. 24.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is harder to tip over (b) it is lighter (c) it is taller (d) it is colourful
  26. 26.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) having a wide base (d) using a heavy roof
  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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  30. 30.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  32. 32.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) fitting rubber base pads
  33. 33.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  34. 34.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
  36. 36.🏚️ 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 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  37. 37.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) making brittle joints (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using flexible joints
  38. 38.True or false: having a wide base makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) stacking loose bricks
  40. 40.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe

Answer key

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

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