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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 485 · 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.🔺 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
  2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an old stone bridge (c) a plank over a drain (d) an igloo
  3. 3.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it bends easily
  4. 4.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a lintel over a door (d) a fort gateway
  5. 5.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  7. 7.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an electric pylon (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a planetarium roof
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) a plank over a drain
  13. 13.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a round palace roof (d) an igloo
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  16. 16.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a plank over a drain (c) a planetarium roof (d) an igloo
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a slab over a canal (c) a bicycle frame (d) an electric pylon
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  21. 21.🔺 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?
  22. 22.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a fort gateway (c) a bicycle frame (d) a shelf on two brackets
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  24. 24.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an old stone bridge (c) a bicycle frame (d) a truss bridge side
  27. 27.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) triangle (d) square
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a crane arm (d) a shelf on two brackets
  31. 31.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a slab over a canal (b) an igloo (c) a truss bridge side (d) a crane arm
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  40. 40.🔺 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

Answer key

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

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