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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 216 · 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 an arch? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a lintel over a door (d) a curved stone doorway
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  3. 3.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) square
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.🔺 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
  7. 7.🔺 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
  8. 8.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
  9. 9.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔺 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?
  11. 11.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
  12. 12.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a bicycle frame (c) a round palace roof (d) a roof truss
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  16. 16.🔺 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
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  20. 20.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🔺 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
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a lintel over a door (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an old stone bridge
  27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a slab over a canal (d) a crane arm
  28. 28.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a bicycle frame
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a slab over a canal (c) a lintel over a door (d) a curved stone doorway
  32. 32.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  33. 33.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  34. 34.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  38. 38.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  40. 40.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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