← Earthquake-safe buildings lesson New set →

Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 82 · 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.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) keeping a simple shape (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) leaving out steel bars
  3. 3.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on the very top (b) hanging outside (c) on a thin pole (d) low down
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) using flexible joints (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) leaving out steel bars
  5. 5.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  6. 6.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) leaving out steel bars (c) having a wide base (d) fitting rubber base pads
  7. 7.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  8. 8.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  9. 9.🏚️ Does having a wide base 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) adding steel to concrete (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) using flexible joints
  11. 11.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🏚️ 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 20 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  13. 13.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 240 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 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  16. 16.🏚️ 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
  17. 17.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  19. 19.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  20. 20.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  21. 21.🏚️ 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 40 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 B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  22. 22.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) using flexible joints (c) using a light roof (d) adding cross bracing
  23. 23.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🏚️ 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 hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  25. 25.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  26. 26.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) making brittle joints (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
  28. 28.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) building tall and narrow
  30. 30.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 20 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
  31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using a heavy roof
  32. 32.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a microscope (c) a shake table (d) a telescope
  33. 33.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  34. 34.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they stop shaking (c) they bend, not break (d) they look nice
  35. 35.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
  36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) having a wide base (d) raising heavy tanks high
  37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
  38. 38.🏚️ 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 10 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  39. 39.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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