Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 266 · 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.🔺 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 triangle is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
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) rigid (b) wobbly
5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a planetarium roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a fort gateway
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
12. 12.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a lintel over a door (c) a round palace roof (d) a crane arm
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a round palace roof (c) a bicycle frame (d) an electric pylon
17. 17.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a slab over a canal (c) a planetarium roof (d) a truss bridge side
20. 20.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a lintel over a door
21. 21.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a planetarium roof (d) a bicycle frame
24. 24.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a fort gateway (d) a truss bridge side
25. 25.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 9 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
27. 27.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) triangle
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an igloo (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
32. 32.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
33. 33.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a round palace roof
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
36. 36.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
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 slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch

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