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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 409 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a lintel over a door (c) an old stone bridge (d) a slab over a canal
  3. 3.🔺 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?
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.🔺 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
  7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a crane arm (c) a fort gateway (d) a bicycle frame
  8. 8.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 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
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) floating
  20. 20.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a slab over a canal (c) a crane arm (d) a round palace roof
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  22. 22.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  25. 25.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  28. 28.🔺 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
  29. 29.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 7 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  30. 30.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  31. 31.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  33. 33.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
  34. 34.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an old stone bridge (c) an igloo (d) a bicycle frame
  38. 38.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔺 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?

Answer key

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

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