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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 268 · 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 hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  2. 2.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔺 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?
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  8. 8.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) take off a side (c) make it bigger (d) add a diagonal brace
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) a fort gateway (d) a slab over a canal
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  15. 15.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  18. 18.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a plank over a drain (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a planetarium roof
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) an igloo (d) an electric pylon
  20. 20.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) a roof truss (d) a planetarium roof
  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.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a slab over a canal (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a roof truss
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a plank over a drain (d) a truss bridge side
  28. 28.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a fort gateway (c) an igloo (d) a crane arm
  29. 29.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) triangle
  30. 30.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a slab over a canal (c) a crane arm (d) a round palace roof
  32. 32.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a planetarium roof (c) a roof truss (d) a crane arm
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  35. 35.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔺 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
  37. 37.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a bicycle frame (c) a roof truss (d) a round palace roof
  38. 38.True or false: an electric pylon uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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