Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 100 · 40 questions

Engineer's tip (Triangles stay put): Triangles are rigid; trusses, towers and frames use them. A pin-jointed frame with n sides needs n − 3 corner-to-corner braces; a row of n triangles uses 2n + 1 straws. Arches squeeze (compression); beams span gaps; domes are arches turned round in a circle.

1. 1.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 2 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a crane arm
3. 3.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
4. 4.🔺 A flat frame has 9 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
5. 5.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is very light (c) it is hollow (d) it works in compression
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
7. 7.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
9. 9.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
11. 11.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a slab over a canal (c) a round palace roof (d) a truss bridge side
13. 13.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a plank over a drain
14. 14.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
15. 15.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an igloo (c) a roof truss (d) a round palace roof
17. 17.🔺 A flat frame has 7 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
19. 19.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🔺 A flat frame has 8 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
21. 21.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) triangle (c) rectangle (d) hexagon
22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a slab over a canal
23. 23.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
28. 28.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
29. 29.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
31. 31.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
32. 32.🔺 A flat frame has 12 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
34. 34.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) floating
36. 36.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an igloo
39. 39.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) a fort gateway
40. 40.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True

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