Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 400 · 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 pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
3. 3.🔺 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
4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (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.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a slab over a canal
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
10. 10.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
12. 12.🔺 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
13. 13.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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?
16. 16.🔺 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?
17. 17.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) take off a side (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) a planetarium roof (d) a shelf on two brackets
23. 23.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it is hollow
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
25. 25.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) square
26. 26.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) a lintel over a door
29. 29.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a planetarium roof (c) a slab over a canal (d) an electric pylon
34. 34.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.🔺 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
38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a slab over a canal
39. 39.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🔺 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?

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