Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 942 · 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.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
2. 2.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 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
3. 3.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using flexible joints (c) building tall and narrow (d) using a heavy roof
4. 4.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they look nice (b) they stop shaking (c) they bend, not break (d) they are cheap
5. 5.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 30 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) adding steel to concrete (c) building tall and narrow (d) making brittle joints
7. 7.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
8. 8.🏚️ 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 20 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
9. 9.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a fridge (b) a microscope (c) a shake table (d) a telescope
10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using a heavy roof (d) raising heavy tanks high
11. 11.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
12. 12.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) adding cross bracing (c) making brittle joints (d) using flexible joints
13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
14. 14.🏚️ 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 140 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 A (b) tower B (c) tower C
15. 15.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
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 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 80 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
17. 17.🏚️ 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 120 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
18. 18.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
19. 19.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) adding cross bracing (c) using a heavy roof (d) keeping a simple shape
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding cross bracing (d) keeping a simple shape
21. 21.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
22. 22.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) leaving out steel bars (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
23. 23.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
24. 24.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is colourful (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is lighter (d) it is taller
26. 26.🏚️ 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 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 B (b) tower C (c) tower A
27. 27.🏚️ 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 30 cm tall on a 10 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 A (c) tower C
28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) making brittle joints (d) fitting rubber base pads
29. 29.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) having a wide base (c) using flexible joints (d) using a light roof
31. 31.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) having a wide base (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding cross bracing (d) using a light roof
32. 32.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 10 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 B (c) tower A
33. 33.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
34. 34.🏚️ 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
35. 35.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) using a heavy roof
37. 37.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) stacking loose bricks
38. 38.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
39. 39.🏚️ 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 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
40. 40.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) adding cross bracing (c) stacking loose bricks (d) raising heavy tanks high

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