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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 332 · 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.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an electric pylon (c) a truss bridge side (d) a plank over a drain
  3. 3.🔺 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
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  6. 6.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) squeezed (compression)
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an electric pylon (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) triangle
  13. 13.True or false: an electric pylon uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a lintel over a door (c) a crane arm (d) a curved stone doorway
  16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a slab over a canal (d) an igloo
  17. 17.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) a plank over a drain
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  22. 22.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it bends easily (d) it works in compression
  24. 24.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) paint it (d) make it bigger
  27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) an igloo (c) a fort gateway (d) a round palace roof
  28. 28.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.🔺 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?
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔺 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
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch

Answer key

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

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