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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 308 · 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 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?
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a roof truss (c) a planetarium roof (d) an igloo
  6. 6.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a crane arm
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a planetarium roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a plank over a drain
  10. 10.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an electric pylon (c) a round palace roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  11. 11.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an igloo (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a roof truss
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) square (d) triangle
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  19. 19.🔺 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
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  21. 21.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a lintel over a door (d) a shelf on two brackets
  30. 30.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a plank over a drain (c) a planetarium roof (d) an electric pylon
  31. 31.🔺 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
  32. 32.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  37. 37.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a bicycle frame (c) a plank over a drain (d) a fort gateway
  38. 38.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a crane arm (c) a round palace roof (d) a planetarium roof
  39. 39.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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