Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 18 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
2. 2.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
4. 4.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
5. 5.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
6. 6.🔺 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
7. 7.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
8. 8.🔺 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?
9. 9.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an old stone bridge (d) a round palace roof
10. 10.🔺 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
11. 11.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
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.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
16. 16.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
17. 17.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
18. 18.🔺 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
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
21. 21.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 10 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
25. 25.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a round palace roof (c) a fort gateway (d) a planetarium roof
26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) an igloo (c) a lintel over a door (d) an old stone bridge
27. 27.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a round palace roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) an electric pylon
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.🔺 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
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.🔺 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
32. 32.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a round palace roof (c) a slab over a canal (d) an electric pylon
33. 33.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an igloo (b) a slab over a canal (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
34. 34.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a truss bridge side (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
35. 35.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 7 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
36. 36.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
40. 40.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) square

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