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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 353 · 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.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  2. 2.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it bends easily
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a planetarium roof (c) a truss bridge side (d) a shelf on two brackets
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  5. 5.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) a plank over a drain
  8. 8.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) make it bigger (d) take off a side
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  10. 10.🔺 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
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  12. 12.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a roof truss (d) a plank over a drain
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  15. 15.True or false: an electric pylon uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a truss bridge side (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  18. 18.True or false: a planetarium roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔺 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
  20. 20.🔺 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?
  21. 21.🔺 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
  22. 22.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) square (d) rectangle
  26. 26.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) a fort gateway
  28. 28.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) an igloo (c) an electric pylon (d) a truss bridge side
  29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  30. 30.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) floating (c) stretched (tension) (d) not affected
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  35. 35.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 A flat frame has 10 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: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.🔺 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?

Answer key

  1. wobbly
  2. it works in compression
  3. a shelf on two brackets
  4. beam
  5. False
  6. 29
  7. a truss bridge side
  8. add a diagonal brace
  9. triangle
  10. rigid
  11. arch
  12. a curved stone doorway
  13. triangle
  14. dome
  15. False
  16. 2
  17. a slab over a canal
  18. False
  19. rigid
  20. 17
  21. wobbly
  22. False
  23. 31
  24. False
  25. triangle
  26. True
  27. a fort gateway
  28. an igloo
  29. arch
  30. False
  31. True
  32. 15
  33. squeezed (compression)
  34. dome
  35. True
  36. 8
  37. 7
  38. True
  39. 5
  40. 21

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