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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 469 · 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.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  2. 2.🔺 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?
  3. 3.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a bicycle frame (c) an igloo (d) a slab over a canal
  4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) square (d) triangle
  5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  7. 7.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a plank over a drain (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an electric pylon
  8. 8.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  9. 9.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a planetarium roof (d) a bicycle frame
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  11. 11.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.🔺 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
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a round palace roof
  16. 16.True or false: an electric pylon uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a round palace roof
  20. 20.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  22. 22.🔺 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?
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  24. 24.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔺 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?
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  27. 27.🔺 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?
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an electric pylon (c) a crane arm (d) a slab over a canal
  30. 30.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
  34. 34.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  35. 35.🔺 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
  36. 36.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  39. 39.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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