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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 564 · 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 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
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a planetarium roof (d) a fort gateway
  4. 4.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a planetarium roof (d) an igloo
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  8. 8.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a roof truss
  9. 9.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
  11. 11.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  14. 14.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a roof truss (b) a fort gateway (c) a slab over a canal (d) a curved stone doorway
  15. 15.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 6 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  19. 19.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  21. 21.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  23. 23.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  26. 26.🔺 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
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  28. 28.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) an igloo (c) a bicycle frame (d) an old stone bridge
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a fort gateway (c) a plank over a drain (d) a lintel over a door
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a truss bridge side (c) a round palace roof (d) a slab over a canal
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  33. 33.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a round palace roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) an electric pylon
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  39. 39.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a lintel over a door
  40. 40.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a round palace roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a shelf on two brackets

Answer key

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

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