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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 459 · 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: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  2. 2.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
  3. 3.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a crane arm (d) a round palace roof
  4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) a planetarium roof (d) a plank over a drain
  5. 5.🔺 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
  6. 6.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
  7. 7.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) paint it
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  11. 11.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a slab over a canal
  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) wobbly (b) rigid
  15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a roof truss
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  18. 18.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it works in compression (c) it is very light (d) it is hollow
  20. 20.🔺 A flat frame has 8 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  21. 21.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) square (c) rectangle (d) hexagon
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a lintel over a door
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  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.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  27. 27.🔺 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?
  28. 28.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a crane arm
  29. 29.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  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 of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a bicycle frame (d) a slab over a canal
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a slab over a canal (c) a roof truss (d) a shelf on two brackets
  38. 38.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a crane arm
  40. 40.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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