Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 344 · 40 questions

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.

1. 1.🔺 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?
2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a crane arm (d) a curved stone doorway
3. 3.🔺 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
4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) square (d) triangle
5. 5.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
6. 6.🔺 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?
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
11. 11.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a roof truss (d) a plank over a drain
12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) an electric pylon (d) a round palace roof
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
14. 14.🔺 A flat frame has 9 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.🔺 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
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) a fort gateway
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) floating
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a round palace roof
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a crane arm (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
27. 27.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is very light
28. 28.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🔺 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
30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
32. 32.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
33. 33.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a round palace roof (d) a fort gateway
36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
39. 39.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) an igloo (d) an old stone bridge
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle

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