Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 635 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) make it bigger (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
3. 3.🔺 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?
4. 4.🔺 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
5. 5.🔺 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?
6. 6.🔺 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
7. 7.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.🔺 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?
9. 9.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a truss bridge side (c) an electric pylon (d) a lintel over a door
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
12. 12.🔺 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
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
16. 16.🔺 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?
17. 17.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a crane arm (c) an igloo (d) an electric pylon
18. 18.🔺 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
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
20. 20.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
21. 21.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a plank over a drain (c) a lintel over a door (d) an old stone bridge
22. 22.🔺 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
23. 23.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
24. 24.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
26. 26.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) squeezed (compression) (c) floating (d) not affected
27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) an electric pylon (c) an igloo (d) a shelf on two brackets
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
30. 30.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 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 shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) square (c) triangle (d) rectangle
33. 33.🔺 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?
34. 34.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
35. 35.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a slab over a canal (c) a planetarium roof (d) an old stone bridge
36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
37. 37.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
38. 38.True or false: an electric pylon uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
40. 40.🔺 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?

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