Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 901 · 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.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) stacking loose bricks (d) adding steel to concrete
2. 2.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
3. 3.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
4. 4.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a heavy roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding cross bracing
5. 5.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using flexible joints (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
6. 6.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
7. 7.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) making brittle joints (d) having a wide base
8. 8.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
9. 9.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is colourful (c) it is lighter (d) it is harder to tip over
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) keeping a simple shape (c) having a wide base (d) adding steel to concrete
11. 11.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
12. 12.🏚️ 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 180 cm tall on a 30 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
13. 13.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on a thin pole (c) on the very top (d) low down
14. 14.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) keeping a simple shape (c) using a heavy roof (d) using a light roof
15. 15.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) keeping a simple shape (d) leaving out steel bars
18. 18.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding steel to concrete (d) keeping a simple shape
19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) keeping a simple shape (d) building tall and narrow
20. 20.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding cross bracing
21. 21.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 150 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 B (b) tower A (c) tower C
22. 22.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
23. 23.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they are cheap
24. 24.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
26. 26.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
27. 27.🏚️ 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 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 B (b) tower C (c) tower A
28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a heavy roof
29. 29.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
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 60 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
31. 31.🏚️ 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 10 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
32. 32.🏚️ Does using a light roof 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 safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a light roof (d) making brittle joints
34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) using flexible joints (d) using a heavy roof
35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a light roof (b) having a wide base (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) raising heavy tanks high
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) fitting rubber base pads
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) adding cross bracing (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding steel to concrete
38. 38.🏚️ Does using a heavy roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
39. 39.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a shake table (c) a microscope (d) a telescope
40. 40.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False

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