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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 30 · 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 10 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) squeezed (compression)
  4. 4.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.🔺 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
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  9. 9.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  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.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a bicycle frame (d) a curved stone doorway
  14. 14.🔺 A flat frame has 9 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  15. 15.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  20. 20.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) square (d) hexagon
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a crane arm (c) a plank over a drain (d) a planetarium roof
  24. 24.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  26. 26.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  32. 32.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a planetarium roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
  33. 33.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a slab over a canal (c) a truss bridge side (d) a round palace roof
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  38. 38.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  40. 40.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. 21
  2. wobbly
  3. squeezed (compression)
  4. wobbly
  5. dome
  6. 7
  7. add a diagonal brace
  8. triangle
  9. True
  10. dome
  11. 3
  12. arch
  13. a plank over a drain
  14. 6
  15. True
  16. beam
  17. 4
  18. arch
  19. triangle
  20. True
  21. triangle
  22. 2
  23. a planetarium roof
  24. False
  25. a round palace roof
  26. True
  27. wobbly
  28. triangle
  29. beam
  30. triangle
  31. a bicycle frame
  32. a shelf on two brackets
  33. False
  34. 5
  35. a fort gateway
  36. 23
  37. rigid
  38. True
  39. triangle
  40. False

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