← Earthquake-safe buildings lesson New set →

Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 789 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
  3. 3.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
  5. 5.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) adding cross bracing (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) making brittle joints
  6. 6.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is lighter (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is colourful
  7. 7.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a light roof
  9. 9.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) keeping a simple shape (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
  11. 11.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) stacking loose bricks
  13. 13.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  14. 14.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  15. 15.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.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) using flexible joints
  17. 17.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they stop shaking (c) they are cheap (d) they bend, not break
  18. 18.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  19. 19.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding steel to concrete
  20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) using a light roof (d) making brittle joints
  21. 21.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
  22. 22.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) building tall and narrow (d) raising heavy tanks high
  23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) keeping a simple shape (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) adding cross bracing
  24. 24.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  27. 27.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a heavy roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) making brittle joints
  29. 29.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) low down (c) on the very top (d) hanging outside
  30. 30.🏚️ 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 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  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.🏚️ 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 20 cm base and tower C is 50 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.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  34. 34.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) raising heavy tanks high
  36. 36.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a telescope (b) a fridge (c) a shake table (d) a microscope
  37. 37.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints
  39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) building tall and narrow
  40. 40.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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