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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 198 · 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 triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) a bicycle frame (d) a lintel over a door
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) an igloo (d) a crane arm
  4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) add a diagonal brace (d) paint it
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a lintel over a door (c) a fort gateway (d) a curved stone doorway
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  14. 14.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) an old stone bridge (d) a bicycle frame
  15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a lintel over a door (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
  16. 16.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) floating (c) stretched (tension) (d) squeezed (compression)
  18. 18.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  20. 20.🔺 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
  21. 21.🔺 A flat frame has 8 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
  26. 26.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  33. 33.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  37. 37.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly

Answer key

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

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