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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 21 · 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.🔺 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
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a roof truss (c) a planetarium roof (d) a round palace roof
  4. 4.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  6. 6.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  8. 8.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a truss bridge side (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  12. 12.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) take off a side (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  15. 15.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  17. 17.🔺 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
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 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
  20. 20.🔺 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
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.🔺 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
  24. 24.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: an electric pylon uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  27. 27.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.True or false: a planetarium roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  31. 31.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a plank over a drain (c) a fort gateway (d) a crane arm
  32. 32.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔺 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
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 11 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) a fort gateway (d) a crane arm
  38. 38.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) square (d) triangle
  39. 39.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. rigid
  2. arch
  3. a plank over a drain
  4. True
  5. dome
  6. False
  7. triangle
  8. True
  9. 4
  10. a round palace roof
  11. triangle
  12. False
  13. add a diagonal brace
  14. dome
  15. True
  16. 27
  17. wobbly
  18. 5
  19. wobbly
  20. wobbly
  21. triangle
  22. 15
  23. wobbly
  24. False
  25. False
  26. squeezed (compression)
  27. True
  28. False
  29. 11
  30. beam
  31. a fort gateway
  32. True
  33. rigid
  34. 3
  35. 23
  36. 3
  37. a lintel over a door
  38. triangle
  39. False
  40. False

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