Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 368 · 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.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
2. 2.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a crane arm (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a roof truss
3. 3.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
6. 6.🔺 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
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
11. 11.🔺 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
12. 12.🔺 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?
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a roof truss (c) an electric pylon (d) a truss bridge side
15. 15.🔺 A flat frame has 4 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
16. 16.🔺 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
17. 17.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a round palace roof
20. 20.🔺 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?
21. 21.🔺 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
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
27. 27.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) triangle
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a roof truss (c) an electric pylon (d) an old stone bridge
32. 32.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a slab over a canal (c) a truss bridge side (d) a curved stone doorway
33. 33.🔺 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?
34. 34.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.True or false: an electric pylon uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
40. 40.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a roof truss (d) a slab over a canal

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