Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 633 · 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.🔺 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
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
4. 4.🔺 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
5. 5.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🔺 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?
7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a plank over a drain (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a round palace roof
8. 8.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
9. 9.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) floating
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) an electric pylon (c) a plank over a drain (d) a round palace roof
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a round palace roof (c) a planetarium roof (d) an electric pylon
15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a truss bridge side (c) a round palace roof (d) a curved stone doorway
16. 16.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) rectangle (c) triangle (d) square
17. 17.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
21. 21.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
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.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
24. 24.🔺 A flat frame has 5 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
25. 25.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
26. 26.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) a lintel over a door (c) a plank over a drain (d) an old stone bridge
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
29. 29.🔺 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
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
33. 33.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
36. 36.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
37. 37.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a slab over a canal (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
39. 39.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
40. 40.🔺 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?

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