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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 372 · 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.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) a planetarium roof (d) a shelf on two brackets
  2. 2.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a roof truss (c) a truss bridge side (d) a shelf on two brackets
  3. 3.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  6. 6.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) floating
  7. 7.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a plank over a drain (c) a crane arm (d) a planetarium roof
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) paint it (d) make it bigger
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it bends easily (c) it works in compression (d) it is hollow
  16. 16.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  20. 20.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an electric pylon (c) a round palace roof (d) a roof truss
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  22. 22.🔺 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
  23. 23.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  24. 24.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) square (d) triangle
  25. 25.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔺 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
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  28. 28.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔺 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
  30. 30.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 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?
  32. 32.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an igloo (c) a truss bridge side (d) a fort gateway
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  40. 40.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly

Answer key

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

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