Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 297 · 40 questions

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.

1. 1.🔺 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?
2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
4. 4.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a planetarium roof (c) an igloo (d) a slab over a canal
5. 5.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
6. 6.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a lintel over a door (c) a planetarium roof (d) a roof truss
7. 7.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a planetarium roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a planetarium roof (c) a fort gateway (d) an igloo
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
12. 12.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) square
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 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
15. 15.🔺 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
16. 16.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an old stone bridge (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
20. 20.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
23. 23.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
24. 24.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (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.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a bicycle frame (c) a fort gateway (d) a shelf on two brackets
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
29. 29.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
32. 32.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an igloo (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
36. 36.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
38. 38.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.🔺 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

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