Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 456 · 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.🔺 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.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
4. 4.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
5. 5.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an old stone bridge (d) a bicycle frame
6. 6.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) a slab over a canal
8. 8.🔺 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
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
10. 10.🔺 A flat frame has 5 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
11. 11.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
12. 12.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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?
16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a bicycle frame (d) a slab over a canal
17. 17.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a truss bridge side (c) a slab over a canal (d) an old stone bridge
20. 20.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
21. 21.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a truss bridge side (c) an igloo (d) an electric pylon
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) square
28. 28.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a round palace roof (d) an electric pylon
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
30. 30.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) an igloo (d) a crane arm
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is hollow (d) it is very light
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
34. 34.🔺 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
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.🔺 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
37. 37.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a roof truss (c) a planetarium roof (d) a fort gateway
40. 40.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False

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