Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 352 · 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 7 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) an electric pylon (c) a truss bridge side (d) a shelf on two brackets
4. 4.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
5. 5.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a crane arm (d) an electric pylon
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
8. 8.🔺 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
9. 9.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
11. 11.🔺 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
12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) an old stone bridge
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
14. 14.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) rectangle (d) square
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
16. 16.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
17. 17.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) squeezed (compression) (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
20. 20.🔺 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
21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a lintel over a door (c) a roof truss (d) a curved stone doorway
26. 26.🔺 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
27. 27.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
28. 28.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.🔺 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
32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
33. 33.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a bicycle frame (d) a planetarium roof
34. 34.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) take off a side
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
36. 36.🔺 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
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
39. 39.🔺 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
40. 40.🔺 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?

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids