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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 270 · 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) an old stone bridge (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  2. 2.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  3. 3.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
  5. 5.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an old stone bridge (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  7. 7.🔺 A flat frame has 12 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.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a truss bridge side (c) a planetarium roof (d) an igloo
  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.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  11. 11.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an electric pylon (c) a plank over a drain (d) an old stone bridge
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  13. 13.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.🔺 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
  16. 16.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  19. 19.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a crane arm
  20. 20.🔺 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?
  21. 21.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a roof truss (d) a truss bridge side
  22. 22.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔺 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
  26. 26.🔺 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?
  27. 27.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  29. 29.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) square (d) hexagon
  30. 30.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 6 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: a planetarium roof uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  40. 40.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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