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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 149 · 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 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?
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  5. 5.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a truss bridge side (c) a planetarium roof (d) a fort gateway
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) an igloo (d) a roof truss
  8. 8.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  13. 13.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) triangle (c) rectangle (d) hexagon
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  15. 15.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a slab over a canal (d) a bicycle frame
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it bends easily
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  21. 21.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.🔺 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
  24. 24.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  27. 27.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
  29. 29.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  32. 32.🔺 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
  33. 33.🔺 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
  34. 34.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an electric pylon (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a roof truss (d) an old stone bridge
  37. 37.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a truss bridge side (d) a roof truss
  40. 40.🔺 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?

Answer key

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

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