Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 482 · 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.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a shelf on two brackets
2. 2.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
3. 3.🔺 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
4. 4.True or false: an electric pylon uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) take off a side
6. 6.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
8. 8.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
10. 10.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) triangle
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
12. 12.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a planetarium roof
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
15. 15.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a plank over a drain (d) a curved stone doorway
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a slab over a canal (c) a bicycle frame (d) a round palace roof
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
21. 21.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a plank over a drain
26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a crane arm (c) a roof truss (d) a fort gateway
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a round palace roof (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a planetarium roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a fort gateway
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.🔺 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
34. 34.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a crane arm (d) a fort gateway
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
36. 36.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🔺 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

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids