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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 638 · 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.🔺 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?
  2. 2.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  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.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a crane arm (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
  5. 5.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a round palace roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a curved stone doorway
  11. 11.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) triangle
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an old stone bridge (c) a roof truss (d) a planetarium roof
  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.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  19. 19.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a planetarium roof (c) a round palace roof (d) a slab over a canal
  20. 20.🔺 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
  21. 21.🔺 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?
  22. 22.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a lintel over a door (d) a curved stone doorway
  23. 23.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a roof truss (d) an igloo
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  25. 25.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a truss bridge side (c) a slab over a canal (d) a fort gateway
  28. 28.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  36. 36.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a slab over a canal (c) a crane arm (d) a curved stone doorway
  37. 37.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  39. 39.🔺 A flat frame has 7 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  40. 40.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. 31
  2. rigid
  3. add a diagonal brace
  4. a crane arm
  5. False
  6. True
  7. True
  8. 15
  9. triangle
  10. a plank over a drain
  11. triangle
  12. dome
  13. 9
  14. rigid
  15. a planetarium roof
  16. 17
  17. 3
  18. arch
  19. a slab over a canal
  20. wobbly
  21. 19
  22. a curved stone doorway
  23. a shelf on two brackets
  24. arch
  25. False
  26. triangle
  27. a fort gateway
  28. rigid
  29. 13
  30. 5
  31. False
  32. True
  33. True
  34. False
  35. triangle
  36. a round palace roof
  37. True
  38. beam
  39. 4
  40. False

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