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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 274 · 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 curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a truss bridge side (c) a bicycle frame (d) a shelf on two brackets
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  5. 5.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a fort gateway (d) a curved stone doorway
  6. 6.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) square
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  12. 12.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
  13. 13.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) an old stone bridge
  16. 16.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a plank over a drain (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
  20. 20.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
  22. 22.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a truss bridge side (d) a slab over a canal
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  24. 24.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) add a diagonal brace (d) paint it
  26. 26.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 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
  29. 29.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  30. 30.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 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?
  32. 32.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  33. 33.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  36. 36.🔺 A flat frame has 4 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  38. 38.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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