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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 446 · 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.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 3 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  6. 6.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a crane arm (c) a round palace roof (d) a truss bridge side
  8. 8.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a plank over a drain (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a roof truss
  9. 9.🔺 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
  10. 10.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a planetarium roof (d) a roof truss
  13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a plank over a drain (c) an electric pylon (d) a truss bridge side
  14. 14.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  17. 17.🔺 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
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  20. 20.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) rectangle
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a round palace roof
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  25. 25.🔺 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?
  26. 26.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) an igloo (c) an old stone bridge (d) a bicycle frame
  27. 27.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  29. 29.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) a planetarium roof
  31. 31.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔺 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
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  34. 34.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  35. 35.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
  36. 36.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a roof truss (c) a plank over a drain (d) an igloo

Answer key

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

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