Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 585 · 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 of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a roof truss
2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a bicycle frame (c) a truss bridge side (d) an igloo
3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a truss bridge side (d) a roof truss
6. 6.🔺 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?
7. 7.🔺 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
8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a bicycle frame (d) a round palace roof
9. 9.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) stretched (tension)
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
11. 11.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a crane arm (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
13. 13.🔺 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
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
15. 15.🔺 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?
16. 16.🔺 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?
17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) a slab over a canal (d) a fort gateway
18. 18.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.🔺 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?
21. 21.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) square
25. 25.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) an igloo (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a slab over a canal
29. 29.🔺 A flat frame has 4 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) make it bigger (d) take off a side
31. 31.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
32. 32.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🔺 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
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a round palace roof (c) a crane arm (d) a slab over a canal
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a slab over a canal (c) an old stone bridge (d) a fort gateway
39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam

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