What's Shakin'?

What's Shakin'?

This activity uses simple materials to allow students to explore how earthquakes affect structures, causing some buildings to vibrate while others appear to stand still.

Introduction

The consistent rhythm in which the "buildings" (i.e., the plasticine balls) swing at is known as their "natural frequency."

When you look at a building, it appears to be a rigid structure. All buildings, however, have some flexibility. This is particularly noticeable at the top of a tall building on a windy day. The shorter the building the stiffer it is, and the higher the natural frequency.

This activity has been adapted from http://e3.sdsc.edu/teachertech/downloads/esactivitytwo.pdf 

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Model and describe the effect of earthquakes on buildings

Entire Activity

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Other Resources

Full Lesson & other activities - Earthquakes