Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 463 · 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.🔺 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
2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a round palace roof (d) a shelf on two brackets
3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) make it bigger
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.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
7. 7.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a crane arm (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a truss bridge side
8. 8.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) an igloo (c) a lintel over a door (d) a planetarium roof
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
12. 12.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
16. 16.🔺 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
17. 17.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
18. 18.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an electric pylon (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a truss bridge side
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) square
21. 21.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
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.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.🔺 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
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (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 an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) an old stone bridge (d) a shelf on two brackets
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
35. 35.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a slab over a canal (c) a fort gateway (d) an electric pylon
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a crane arm (d) a plank over a drain

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