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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 562 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  2. 2.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a fort gateway (c) a round palace roof (d) an electric pylon
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  4. 4.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
  6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a bicycle frame
  7. 7.🔺 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?
  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.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔺 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?
  11. 11.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is very light
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  13. 13.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) an electric pylon (d) an igloo
  14. 14.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  16. 16.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a roof truss (c) a truss bridge side (d) an electric pylon
  18. 18.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🔺 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
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  21. 21.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a truss bridge side (c) a planetarium roof (d) a crane arm
  23. 23.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) square (d) hexagon
  24. 24.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a roof truss (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a fort gateway
  27. 27.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  28. 28.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  33. 33.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a planetarium roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an electric pylon
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
  35. 35.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a lintel over a door
  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) wobbly (b) rigid
  37. 37.🔺 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
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a crane arm (d) an igloo
  40. 40.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a crane arm (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a shelf on two brackets

Answer key

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

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