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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 982 · 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.

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  1. 1.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) adding cross bracing
  2. 2.🏚️ 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
  3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) having a wide base (c) adding cross bracing (d) making brittle joints
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) having a wide base (c) leaving out steel bars (d) making brittle joints
  5. 5.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they bend, not break (c) they look nice (d) they stop shaking
  6. 6.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) using flexible joints (d) stacking loose bricks
  7. 7.🏚️ 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 210 cm tall on a 30 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
  8. 8.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower C (c) tower A
  9. 9.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 20 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
  11. 11.🏚️ Does having a wide base make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  12. 12.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using flexible joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) having a wide base
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) using flexible joints (d) leaving out steel bars
  14. 14.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🏚️ 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 20 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 A (b) tower C (c) tower B
  16. 16.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a shake table (b) a fridge (c) a microscope (d) a telescope
  17. 17.🏚️ Does adding steel to concrete make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  18. 18.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  19. 19.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a heavy roof
  20. 20.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🏚️ 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 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 240 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower B (c) tower C
  22. 22.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) hanging outside (b) on the very top (c) on a thin pole (d) low down
  23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) building tall and narrow (c) adding steel to concrete (d) having a wide base
  24. 24.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
  25. 25.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🏚️ 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 10 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 C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  27. 27.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  29. 29.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  30. 30.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) building tall and narrow (b) using a light roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) fitting rubber base pads
  31. 31.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) leaving out steel bars (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a heavy roof
  33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) using a heavy roof (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using flexible joints
  34. 34.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  35. 35.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) stacking loose bricks (d) using a light roof
  38. 38.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: raising heavy tanks high makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🏚️ 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 120 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 B (c) tower C

Answer key

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

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