Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 563 · 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 curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
2. 2.🔺 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
3. 3.🔺 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
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.🔺 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?
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) a crane arm (d) a roof truss
8. 8.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a slab over a canal (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a roof truss
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
11. 11.🔺 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?
12. 12.🔺 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?
13. 13.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a slab over a canal (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a curved stone doorway
14. 14.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
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.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
17. 17.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 7 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a planetarium roof
20. 20.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a lintel over a door
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a slab over a canal (d) a bicycle frame
23. 23.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) a crane arm
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
25. 25.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
28. 28.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a crane arm (d) a plank over a drain
32. 32.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
34. 34.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) an igloo (c) a slab over a canal (d) a planetarium roof
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
36. 36.🔺 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
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) wobbly (b) rigid
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome

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