Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 380 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) a roof truss (d) a curved stone doorway
3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
6. 6.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a truss bridge side
7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a crane arm (c) a round palace roof (d) a lintel over a door
8. 8.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an old stone bridge (d) a fort gateway
9. 9.🔺 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
10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a truss bridge side (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a round palace roof
11. 11.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it is hollow
12. 12.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a lintel over a door (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
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.🔺 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?
16. 16.🔺 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
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.🔺 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
19. 19.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
21. 21.🔺 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
22. 22.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) square (d) rectangle
23. 23.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
24. 24.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
25. 25.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a shelf on two brackets
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
29. 29.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a bicycle frame (c) an igloo (d) an electric pylon
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a crane arm (d) a bicycle frame
33. 33.🔺 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?
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.🔺 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?
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.🔺 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?
40. 40.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids