Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 921 · 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 of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) stacking loose bricks (c) using a light roof (d) using flexible joints
2. 2.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
3. 3.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 40 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 C (c) tower A
4. 4.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
7. 7.🏚️ 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 50 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
8. 8.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.True or false: building tall and narrow makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
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.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding steel to concrete (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) adding cross bracing
13. 13.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
14. 14.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
15. 15.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is lighter (b) it is taller (c) it is harder to tip over (d) it is colourful
16. 16.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a heavy roof
17. 17.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 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
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 is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
20. 20.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on the very top (c) on a thin pole (d) hanging outside
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) having a wide base (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) building tall and narrow
24. 24.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
25. 25.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a telescope (c) a fridge (d) a microscope
26. 26.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
27. 27.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) having a wide base (c) stacking loose bricks (d) building tall and narrow
28. 28.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
29. 29.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) having a wide base (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding steel to concrete
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) keeping a simple shape (d) adding steel to concrete
32. 32.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) keeping a simple shape (c) building tall and narrow (d) leaving out steel bars
34. 34.🏚️ 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 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
35. 35.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
36. 36.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 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
37. 37.🏚️ 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
38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) leaving out steel bars (c) building tall and narrow (d) having a wide base
39. 39.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) adding steel to concrete
40. 40.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True

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