Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 358 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
2. 2.🔺 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
3. 3.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a curved stone doorway
6. 6.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a plank over a drain (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a planetarium roof
8. 8.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
10. 10.🔺 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
11. 11.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an electric pylon (c) a roof truss (d) a curved stone doorway
12. 12.🔺 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
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a roof truss (c) an electric pylon (d) a round palace roof
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a shelf on two brackets
21. 21.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
22. 22.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) square
23. 23.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an electric pylon (c) a roof truss (d) an old stone bridge
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
25. 25.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a fort gateway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a roof truss
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
29. 29.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
30. 30.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.🔺 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
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
34. 34.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 11 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
35. 35.🔺 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
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.🔺 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?
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.🔺 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?
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam

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