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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 439 · 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 9 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a planetarium roof (d) a roof truss
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  6. 6.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
  10. 10.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  12. 12.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  14. 14.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) take off a side (c) add a diagonal brace (d) make it bigger
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  23. 23.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an electric pylon
  24. 24.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a slab over a canal
  25. 25.🔺 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
  26. 26.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔺 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
  29. 29.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a slab over a canal (d) a roof truss
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) an electric pylon
  34. 34.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a fort gateway (c) a round palace roof (d) an electric pylon
  36. 36.🔺 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
  37. 37.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an old stone bridge (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
  38. 38.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  39. 39.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) a truss bridge side
  40. 40.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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