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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 137 · 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 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?
  2. 2.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
  3. 3.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a plank over a drain (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an old stone bridge
  4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a lintel over a door (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a round palace roof (d) a fort gateway
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  8. 8.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a truss bridge side
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  10. 10.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) square
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  13. 13.🔺 A flat frame has 11 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  16. 16.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  21. 21.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔺 A flat frame has 10 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  23. 23.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 11 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  28. 28.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is hollow (d) it is very light
  29. 29.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  30. 30.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) an electric pylon (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an igloo
  32. 32.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  36. 36.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) take off a side
  37. 37.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  38. 38.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) squeezed (compression) (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)

Answer key

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

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