Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 609 · 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.🔺 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?
2. 2.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
4. 4.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
5. 5.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) triangle (d) hexagon
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
9. 9.🔺 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?
10. 10.🔺 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?
11. 11.🔺 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?
12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
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) rigid (b) wobbly
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a slab over a canal (c) a planetarium roof (d) a truss bridge side
16. 16.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) a lintel over a door (d) a crane arm
17. 17.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a slab over a canal (c) a truss bridge side (d) a round palace roof
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
20. 20.🔺 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
21. 21.🔺 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
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
27. 27.🔺 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
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
29. 29.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a planetarium roof (d) a plank over a drain
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a roof truss (d) a lintel over a door
33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a roof truss (d) a bicycle frame
34. 34.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
36. 36.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
39. 39.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False

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