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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 526 · 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 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?
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  3. 3.🔺 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?
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a crane arm (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
  9. 9.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) square (d) rectangle
  10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a lintel over a door (c) a planetarium roof (d) a slab over a canal
  11. 11.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) a crane arm (d) an old stone bridge
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) floating (d) stretched (tension)
  14. 14.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it works in compression (d) it is very light
  16. 16.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a round palace roof
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  20. 20.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a truss bridge side (c) a planetarium roof (d) an old stone bridge
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a bicycle frame (c) a fort gateway (d) an igloo
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  27. 27.🔺 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?
  28. 28.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
  31. 31.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  32. 32.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔺 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
  34. 34.🔺 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
  35. 35.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) take off a side (c) make it bigger (d) add a diagonal brace
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) an electric pylon
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  40. 40.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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