Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 506 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
2. 2.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a roof truss
3. 3.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a roof truss (c) a crane arm (d) a shelf on two brackets
4. 4.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) squeezed (compression) (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an igloo (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
9. 9.🔺 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
10. 10.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
11. 11.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) rectangle
12. 12.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 2 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
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.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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?
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
18. 18.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
19. 19.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
20. 20.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
24. 24.🔺 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
25. 25.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
26. 26.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
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.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a lintel over a door (d) an electric pylon
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
32. 32.🔺 A flat frame has 12 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.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
34. 34.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
35. 35.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a planetarium roof
36. 36.🔺 A flat frame has 8 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
40. 40.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) an igloo (d) an old stone bridge

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