Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 460 · 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 6 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 truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) an igloo
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is very light (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
7. 7.🔺 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
8. 8.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
11. 11.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a roof truss (c) a plank over a drain (d) a crane arm
13. 13.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
14. 14.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) a fort gateway (d) a curved stone doorway
15. 15.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) add a diagonal brace (d) paint it
16. 16.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) square
17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
18. 18.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
19. 19.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
23. 23.🔺 A flat frame has 7 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.🔺 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
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a truss bridge side
33. 33.🔺 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
34. 34.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.🔺 A flat frame has 11 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.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle

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