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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 532 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  2. 2.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it is hollow
  3. 3.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  5. 5.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  6. 6.🔺 A flat frame has 5 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.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a bicycle frame (d) a round palace roof
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.🔺 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
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a round palace roof (c) a slab over a canal (d) a bicycle frame
  15. 15.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
  17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a lintel over a door (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
  18. 18.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  20. 20.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
  22. 22.🔺 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
  23. 23.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) an igloo
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.🔺 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?
  26. 26.🔺 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?
  27. 27.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  29. 29.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a bicycle frame
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  32. 32.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  36. 36.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a planetarium roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a bicycle frame
  38. 38.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  40. 40.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

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

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