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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 210 · 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 a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  3. 3.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  6. 6.🔺 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
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an igloo (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a lintel over a door
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  15. 15.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it bends easily
  17. 17.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) an electric pylon (c) a truss bridge side (d) an old stone bridge
  20. 20.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) a slab over a canal (d) an old stone bridge
  21. 21.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) a lintel over a door
  22. 22.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) an igloo (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a roof truss
  24. 24.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) floating
  25. 25.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
  26. 26.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) square (d) triangle
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  28. 28.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an igloo (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
  29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle

Answer key

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

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