Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 163 · 40 questions

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.

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

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