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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 116 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

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

Answer key

  1. 3
  2. it works in compression
  3. add a diagonal brace
  4. False
  5. an igloo
  6. False
  7. squeezed (compression)
  8. False
  9. triangle
  10. triangle
  11. True
  12. True
  13. rigid
  14. a round palace roof
  15. 2
  16. arch
  17. triangle
  18. a roof truss
  19. rigid
  20. an old stone bridge
  21. 6
  22. arch
  23. wobbly
  24. False
  25. True
  26. a truss bridge side
  27. wobbly
  28. 21
  29. rigid
  30. triangle
  31. True
  32. False
  33. 1
  34. 7
  35. wobbly
  36. 3
  37. False
  38. False
  39. 5
  40. False

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