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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 502 · 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.🔺 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?
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  4. 4.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) paint it
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.🔺 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
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  9. 9.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a planetarium roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a crane arm
  13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) a bicycle frame (d) an electric pylon
  14. 14.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  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.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 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?
  20. 20.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  22. 22.🔺 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
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  24. 24.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
  25. 25.🔺 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?
  26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a fort gateway (d) a bicycle frame
  27. 27.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.🔺 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
  30. 30.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) square (c) rectangle (d) hexagon
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  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.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  35. 35.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
  36. 36.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  37. 37.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a fort gateway
  38. 38.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an old stone bridge (c) a slab over a canal (d) a round palace roof
  40. 40.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

  1. 7
  2. wobbly
  3. arch
  4. True
  5. add a diagonal brace
  6. 15
  7. rigid
  8. dome
  9. True
  10. arch
  11. 29
  12. an old stone bridge
  13. a lintel over a door
  14. True
  15. triangle
  16. beam
  17. 17
  18. 23
  19. 9
  20. False
  21. dome
  22. wobbly
  23. beam
  24. squeezed (compression)
  25. 19
  26. a bicycle frame
  27. False
  28. 8
  29. wobbly
  30. False
  31. triangle
  32. 4
  33. wobbly
  34. dome
  35. a round palace roof
  36. rigid
  37. a fort gateway
  38. False
  39. a slab over a canal
  40. False

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