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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 634 · 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 hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  3. 3.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a roof truss (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
  4. 4.🔺 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
  5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a slab over a canal (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
  6. 6.🔺 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
  7. 7.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) rectangle
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a crane arm (d) a planetarium roof
  11. 11.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
  13. 13.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  18. 18.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an electric pylon (c) a lintel over a door (d) an igloo
  19. 19.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  22. 22.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  25. 25.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a slab over a canal (d) a roof truss
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a plank over a drain (c) a fort gateway (d) a bicycle frame
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle

Answer key

  1. wobbly
  2. beam
  3. a round palace roof
  4. it works in compression
  5. a curved stone doorway
  6. rigid
  7. triangle
  8. rigid
  9. 9
  10. a crane arm
  11. False
  12. squeezed (compression)
  13. False
  14. arch
  15. dome
  16. 15
  17. beam
  18. an igloo
  19. True
  20. True
  21. beam
  22. False
  23. 27
  24. a plank over a drain
  25. True
  26. True
  27. a slab over a canal
  28. 8
  29. False
  30. False
  31. a bicycle frame
  32. 1
  33. False
  34. triangle
  35. 9
  36. 6
  37. arch
  38. 13
  39. False
  40. dome

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