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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 282 · 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.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 11 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  2. 2.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a plank over a drain
  3. 3.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  5. 5.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
  6. 6.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
  7. 7.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  9. 9.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) square (d) rectangle
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) make it bigger
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a lintel over a door (d) an igloo
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.🔺 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?
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  22. 22.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  24. 24.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an igloo (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a crane arm
  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: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a planetarium roof (c) a truss bridge side (d) a roof truss
  29. 29.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  30. 30.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a round palace roof (c) a fort gateway (d) an igloo
  34. 34.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  38. 38.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an old stone bridge (c) a roof truss (d) a round palace roof

Answer key

  1. 23
  2. a curved stone doorway
  3. True
  4. 11
  5. squeezed (compression)
  6. it works in compression
  7. True
  8. wobbly
  9. triangle
  10. arch
  11. 3
  12. add a diagonal brace
  13. triangle
  14. wobbly
  15. beam
  16. an igloo
  17. 7
  18. rigid
  19. 8
  20. 19
  21. arch
  22. True
  23. triangle
  24. wobbly
  25. a crane arm
  26. 9
  27. False
  28. a planetarium roof
  29. wobbly
  30. False
  31. True
  32. False
  33. a fort gateway
  34. True
  35. False
  36. dome
  37. beam
  38. True
  39. 9
  40. an old stone bridge

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