Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 534 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) triangle
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
6. 6.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) not affected (d) squeezed (compression)
7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a round palace roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a plank over a drain
8. 8.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a slab over a canal (c) an old stone bridge (d) a roof truss
11. 11.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
12. 12.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a bicycle frame
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
14. 14.True or false: a planetarium roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a planetarium roof
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a planetarium roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
19. 19.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
21. 21.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
22. 22.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a planetarium roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a truss bridge side
23. 23.🔺 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
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
27. 27.🔺 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
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
30. 30.🔺 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
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
33. 33.🔺 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?
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
35. 35.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) a fort gateway (d) a bicycle frame
37. 37.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 3 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.True or false: an igloo uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle

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