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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 318 · 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.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a planetarium roof (d) a truss bridge side
  2. 2.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  5. 5.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  6. 6.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a round palace roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  10. 10.🔺 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
  11. 11.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  13. 13.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 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
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an igloo
  20. 20.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
  21. 21.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) squeezed (compression)
  22. 22.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 8 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  23. 23.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a crane arm (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a bicycle frame
  24. 24.🔺 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
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) an igloo (d) a roof truss
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  29. 29.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  31. 31.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) square
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  36. 36.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  40. 40.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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