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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

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

Answer key

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

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