Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 212 · 40 questions

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.

1. 1.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) a slab over a canal (d) an electric pylon
2. 2.🔺 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
3. 3.🔺 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?
4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) square (d) rectangle
5. 5.🔺 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
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
10. 10.🔺 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?
11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) make it bigger
12. 12.🔺 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?
13. 13.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a slab over a canal
14. 14.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a roof truss (d) a planetarium roof
15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
16. 16.🔺 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?
17. 17.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
20. 20.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a truss bridge side (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a lintel over a door
21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 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
25. 25.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
27. 27.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 3 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
29. 29.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) an old stone bridge (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
32. 32.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
33. 33.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
34. 34.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
40. 40.🔺 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

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