Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 408 · 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 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a fort gateway
5. 5.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a round palace roof
6. 6.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it bends easily
7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a shelf on two brackets
8. 8.🔺 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?
9. 9.🔺 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
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
11. 11.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
12. 12.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
15. 15.🔺 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
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
17. 17.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) an electric pylon (c) an old stone bridge (d) a planetarium roof
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a plank over a drain (c) an old stone bridge (d) a bicycle frame
21. 21.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a lintel over a door (d) an electric pylon
26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a planetarium roof
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.🔺 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
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a lintel over a door (c) a truss bridge side (d) a planetarium roof
32. 32.🔺 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
33. 33.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
39. 39.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome

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