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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 184 · 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.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) an igloo (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a truss bridge side
  3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) take off a side
  4. 4.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
  5. 5.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
  6. 6.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an electric pylon (b) a roof truss (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  7. 7.🔺 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
  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 strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  10. 10.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  11. 11.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  12. 12.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) an igloo (d) a bicycle frame
  15. 15.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  17. 17.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.🔺 A flat frame has 6 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 of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) an igloo (c) a bicycle frame (d) a fort gateway
  21. 21.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) an old stone bridge (d) an electric pylon
  23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a lintel over a door (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an electric pylon
  24. 24.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a round palace roof (c) a slab over a canal (d) a crane arm
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a bicycle frame (d) a fort gateway
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  32. 32.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔺 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
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  38. 38.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a fort gateway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a round palace roof
  39. 39.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an igloo (c) a slab over a canal (d) a lintel over a door
  40. 40.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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