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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 273 · 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  2. 2.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a round palace roof (c) an igloo (d) a crane arm
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an igloo (c) a slab over a canal (d) an old stone bridge
  11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) take off a side (c) add a diagonal brace (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.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it works in compression (c) it is hollow (d) it is very light
  14. 14.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a fort gateway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a crane arm
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  19. 19.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  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.🔺 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
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a truss bridge side (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
  25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
  26. 26.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) square
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  28. 28.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an igloo (c) a roof truss (d) a slab over a canal
  30. 30.True or false: a planetarium roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  32. 32.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a planetarium roof (c) a truss bridge side (d) a roof truss

Answer key

  1. wobbly
  2. False
  3. True
  4. wobbly
  5. False
  6. a crane arm
  7. triangle
  8. 5
  9. 7
  10. an old stone bridge
  11. add a diagonal brace
  12. 4
  13. it works in compression
  14. False
  15. 25
  16. a lintel over a door
  17. a fort gateway
  18. beam
  19. False
  20. 8
  21. rigid
  22. 19
  23. False
  24. a curved stone doorway
  25. a bicycle frame
  26. triangle
  27. dome
  28. False
  29. a slab over a canal
  30. False
  31. beam
  32. True
  33. triangle
  34. dome
  35. beam
  36. triangle
  37. triangle
  38. 7
  39. False
  40. a shelf on two brackets

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