Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 500 · 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.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 6 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a round palace roof (d) a lintel over a door
5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
7. 7.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
8. 8.🔺 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
9. 9.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
11. 11.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
15. 15.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an electric pylon (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an igloo
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
17. 17.🔺 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
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
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.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.🔺 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
22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) a roof truss (d) a plank over a drain
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a roof truss (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
28. 28.🔺 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
29. 29.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a plank over a drain (c) a fort gateway (d) a planetarium roof
30. 30.True or false: a round palace roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.🔺 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
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) an electric pylon (d) an old stone bridge
36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a planetarium roof
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.🔺 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?

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