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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 423 · 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.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 8 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  2. 2.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
  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) wobbly (b) rigid
  4. 4.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a roof truss (d) a slab over a canal
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  6. 6.🔺 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
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  11. 11.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  15. 15.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
  17. 17.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a plank over a drain
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  20. 20.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  22. 22.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) a plank over a drain (d) a round palace roof
  24. 24.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) a fort gateway (d) a crane arm
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  26. 26.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an old stone bridge (c) a truss bridge side (d) a bicycle frame
  27. 27.🔺 A flat frame has 12 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 strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  29. 29.True or false: an electric pylon uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.🔺 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
  31. 31.🔺 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
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
  35. 35.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a plank over a drain
  37. 37.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) squeezed (compression) (c) not affected (d) floating
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  40. 40.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway

Answer key

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

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