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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 328 · 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 shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) square (d) triangle
  2. 2.🔺 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?
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  4. 4.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a round palace roof (c) a planetarium roof (d) a lintel over a door
  5. 5.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔺 A flat frame has 4 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  10. 10.🔺 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?
  11. 11.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  12. 12.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔺 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
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  20. 20.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an igloo (c) a lintel over a door (d) a crane arm
  21. 21.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
  22. 22.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 3 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  24. 24.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a bicycle frame (c) a roof truss (d) a fort gateway
  25. 25.🔺 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?
  26. 26.🔺 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?
  27. 27.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an igloo (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  29. 29.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an old stone bridge (d) an igloo
  32. 32.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a plank over a drain (c) a planetarium roof (d) a slab over a canal
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 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
  35. 35.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  39. 39.🔺 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
  40. 40.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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