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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 493 · 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 shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) square
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  3. 3.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an electric pylon (d) a crane arm
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a slab over a canal (c) an old stone bridge (d) an electric pylon
  8. 8.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  11. 11.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a roof truss
  12. 12.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an igloo (b) a lintel over a door (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  14. 14.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) floating
  17. 17.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  21. 21.🔺 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?
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) a fort gateway (d) a round palace roof
  26. 26.🔺 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?
  27. 27.🔺 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
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it bends easily
  30. 30.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  33. 33.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 10 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  36. 36.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a lintel over a door (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
  37. 37.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.🔺 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
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle

Answer key

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

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