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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 490 · 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.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an igloo (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
  2. 2.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a plank over a drain
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a crane arm (c) a plank over a drain (d) a roof truss
  9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a planetarium roof (c) an igloo (d) an electric pylon
  10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a shelf on two brackets
  11. 11.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  12. 12.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) an electric pylon (c) a fort gateway (d) a planetarium roof
  19. 19.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it is hollow (c) it works in compression (d) it bends easily
  20. 20.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  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.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔺 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
  24. 24.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  29. 29.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) an old stone bridge (c) a fort gateway (d) a roof truss
  30. 30.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 3 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  31. 31.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: an igloo uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam

Answer key

  1. a slab over a canal
  2. wobbly
  3. a plank over a drain
  4. 6
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 8
  8. an igloo
  9. an electric pylon
  10. a shelf on two brackets
  11. wobbly
  12. True
  13. False
  14. rigid
  15. 1
  16. add a diagonal brace
  17. 17
  18. a fort gateway
  19. it works in compression
  20. False
  21. 7
  22. False
  23. rigid
  24. False
  25. False
  26. True
  27. True
  28. triangle
  29. a lintel over a door
  30. rigid
  31. True
  32. False
  33. False
  34. squeezed (compression)
  35. 31
  36. False
  37. False
  38. 2
  39. 9
  40. triangle

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