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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 150 · 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.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 8 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 an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an old stone bridge (c) a lintel over a door (d) an igloo
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  4. 4.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it works in compression (d) it is very light
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  7. 7.🔺 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
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  9. 9.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 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
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  14. 14.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a crane arm (c) a planetarium roof (d) a plank over a drain
  15. 15.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) triangle
  16. 16.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a plank over a drain (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
  17. 17.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
  18. 18.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a lintel over a door (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a bicycle frame
  20. 20.🔺 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?
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  22. 22.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  25. 25.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) an old stone bridge
  27. 27.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a planetarium roof
  28. 28.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.🔺 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
  37. 37.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a round palace roof (d) a fort gateway
  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 plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

  1. 17
  2. an old stone bridge
  3. beam
  4. it works in compression
  5. 2
  6. rigid
  7. add a diagonal brace
  8. arch
  9. 27
  10. triangle
  11. 9
  12. wobbly
  13. beam
  14. a crane arm
  15. triangle
  16. a curved stone doorway
  17. a round palace roof
  18. False
  19. a bicycle frame
  20. 7
  21. triangle
  22. False
  23. False
  24. arch
  25. True
  26. an igloo
  27. a shelf on two brackets
  28. False
  29. True
  30. 31
  31. False
  32. False
  33. True
  34. triangle
  35. 1
  36. wobbly
  37. True
  38. a plank over a drain
  39. 5
  40. False

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