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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 339 · 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 beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a crane arm (d) an electric pylon
  2. 2.🔺 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?
  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) rigid (b) wobbly
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an igloo (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) a lintel over a door
  7. 7.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  9. 9.🔺 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
  10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a round palace roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a roof truss
  11. 11.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a crane arm
  13. 13.🔺 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
  14. 14.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) square (d) triangle
  16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a lintel over a door (c) a planetarium roof (d) a roof truss
  17. 17.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  21. 21.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a slab over a canal (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
  22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) a truss bridge side (d) an igloo
  23. 23.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  27. 27.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a roof truss (d) a plank over a drain
  29. 29.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) add a diagonal brace (d) paint it
  31. 31.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) an igloo (c) an old stone bridge (d) a planetarium roof
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
  36. 36.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔺 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?

Answer key

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

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