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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 201 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  6. 6.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a crane arm (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an electric pylon
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is hollow (d) it is very light
  9. 9.🔺 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
  10. 10.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔺 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
  13. 13.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) a fort gateway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a bicycle frame
  14. 14.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (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) wobbly (b) rigid
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a truss bridge side (d) an igloo
  20. 20.🔺 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?
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  22. 22.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a bicycle frame (d) a slab over a canal
  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 triangles. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  28. 28.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a lintel over a door
  30. 30.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a slab over a canal (c) a roof truss (d) a bicycle frame
  31. 31.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
  33. 33.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an igloo (d) a planetarium roof
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  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.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  38. 38.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a slab over a canal
  39. 39.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) triangle (d) hexagon
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam

Answer key

  1. add a diagonal brace
  2. wobbly
  3. wobbly
  4. wobbly
  5. triangle
  6. a shelf on two brackets
  7. 7
  8. it works in compression
  9. wobbly
  10. False
  11. False
  12. rigid
  13. a fort gateway
  14. True
  15. 31
  16. 3
  17. False
  18. rigid
  19. a truss bridge side
  20. 5
  21. arch
  22. a curved stone doorway
  23. 8
  24. True
  25. False
  26. dome
  27. triangle
  28. False
  29. a crane arm
  30. an igloo
  31. True
  32. squeezed (compression)
  33. a plank over a drain
  34. beam
  35. 13
  36. True
  37. triangle
  38. a planetarium roof
  39. triangle
  40. dome

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