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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 152 · 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.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an electric pylon (c) a roof truss (d) an old stone bridge
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
  4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a slab over a canal
  7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) a shelf on two brackets
  8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a planetarium roof (c) a crane arm (d) a curved stone doorway
  9. 9.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a fort gateway
  11. 11.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 9 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  12. 12.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) an igloo
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a plank over a drain (c) a bicycle frame (d) a fort gateway
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 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
  18. 18.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a planetarium roof (c) a truss bridge side (d) an old stone bridge
  20. 20.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it is hollow
  21. 21.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 6 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  27. 27.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  28. 28.🔺 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
  29. 29.🔺 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
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  31. 31.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  34. 34.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
  37. 37.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  40. 40.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?

Answer key

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

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